What is an Online Prescription?

An online prescription could be a medication obtained from an online pharmacy, or it could be a prescription written online by a doctor. In the former definition, the online prescription may simply be a cheaper way of obtaining certain types of medicines, though each country has its guidelines on the safest ways to shop online. The latter definition is a little sketchier, a practice that has been designed to sell drugs from the pharmacy, and against which many health agencies strongly advise.

Lots of people are turning to obtaining an online prescription or more than one. For some people it makes better sense and may prove less expensive than getting medications locally. It’s strongly advised people use pharmacies that have obtained certain licensing and that have pharmacists who also have regional/state/country licensing too. There are various recommendations on whether it is safe to obtain prescriptions from other countries, and here people must make their own judgment calls on the matter. Of course, shipping medications from another country could be costly and might mitigate any potential savings.

The practice of obtaining an online prescription for medications is one being adopted by a number of pharmacies. Certain medications can possibly be obtained without one, but depending on state regulations others require prescriptions, especially for some medications that are pain relievers or tranquilizers. These drugs can be extremely dangerous when overused, and a doctor from an online pharmacy cannot tell from an email or chat conversation if misuse is planned. Eventually, they could divine this by establishing a patient record, but people could just order drugs from a different pharmacy the next time.

Most health agencies are strongly opposed to this method of getting an online prescription. They feel customers are safest if they see a doctor locally and decide with that doctor what medications are appropriate. The online prescription by doctor method does seem ripe for abuse. It doesn’t really offer a physical medical exam and allows people quick access to some medications with severe side effects and real potential for abuse. Many argue it is a system that is set up so people can routinely gain access to medications they shouldn’t have and that might hurt them.

Others argue they don’t want to have to go into a doctor and pay more money to get something they think they need. They should be able to obtain their Viagra® or Valium® without a lot of questions. Yet, these two medications are not without danger. Viagra® can drop blood pressure to dangerous levels, and Valium® is an addictive medication that can cause medically serious conditions if withdrawal occurs quickly. Ultimately, it is easy to abuse the system, particularly when people know how to answer questions that might minimize their chances of an online doctor prescribing a drug, and they could lie about blood pressure medicines or other use of benzodiazepines easily.

There are agencies that regulate online prescription but it’s not always possible to tell degree of regulation at a single pharmacy. People can verify that a pharmacy is registered through their country or regional area. Another good idea is to discuss reputable online pharmacies with doctors.