Online Pharmacies

Consumers are increasingly replacing a trip to the corner drugstore with a click onto the Internet where there are hundreds of web sites selling prescription drugs.

Many of these are lawful enterprises that offer convenience, privacy, and the safeguards of traditional procedures for prescribing drugs. And while some online pharmacies are the familiar large drugstore chains, many are smaller local businesses enhancing their customer service with electronic access.

But be wary of others who are using the Internet as an outlet for products or practices that are already illegal in the offline world. These sites either sell unapproved products, or if they deal in approved ones, they often sidestep established procedures meant to protect consumers.

For example, some sites require customers only to fill out a questionnaire before ordering prescription drugs, bypassing any face-to-face interaction with a health professional. This sets the stage for dangerous problems like drug interactions, and uses of contaminated, outdated, or counterfeit drugs.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made Internet surveillance an enforcement priority, targeting unapproved new drugs, health fraud, and prescription drugs sold without a valid prescription. Consumers seeking health products online can find dozens of sites that FDA officials say are legally questionable. Some specialize in particular drugs like Viagra, the baldness therapy Propecia (finasteride), or the weight-loss treatment Xenical (orlistat). Others, based in foreign countries, promise to deliver prescription drugs at a much cheaper price than their domestic cost, but the drugs may be different from those approved in the United States or may be past their expiration dates.

New legislation has been proposed to regulate online pharmacies. But meanwhile, the oversight of online pharmacies cuts across the jurisdictions of several Federal and state agencies. State medical boards regulate medical practice, while state pharmacy boards oversee pharmacy practice. The FDA and Federal Trade Commission ensure that drug sellers make legal claims about their products. The U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Postal Service enforce laws regarding the shipment of drug products. The FDA regulates the safety, effectiveness and manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs, as well as a part of the prescribing process.

• Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to see if the site is listed in their Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program. Visit the VIPPS web site or call 847-698-6227.
• Don't buy from sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved by FDA.
• Don't do business with sites that do not provide access to a registered pharmacist to answer questions.
• Avoid sites that do not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S. address and phone number to contact if there's a problem.
• Beware of sites that advertise a "new cure" for a serious disorder or a quick cure-all for a wide range of ailments.
• Steer clear of sites that include undocumented case histories claiming "amazing" results.
• Talk to your health-care professional before using any medication for the first time.

Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Medical College physicians practice at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.