How to find an online pharmacy to rely on

By Michelle Singletary

If you need a prescription filled, be careful before ordering from an online pharmacy. Don't be so eager to get a price break that you end up with counterfeit drugs, advises the National Consumers League.

The league has released an online survey of 1,013 adults, conducted by the Opinion Research Corp. in May, showing that more than half of the respondents believe there is no way to tell if a prescription drug sold online is real or counterfeit.

In a recent report, the General Accounting Office found many instances in which Internet pharmacies — most operating in foreign countries — exhibited shaky business practices, including not requiring people to produce a prescription.

In its test, the federal agency obtained 68 samples of 11 drugs — each from a different pharmacy Web site in the United States, Canada or elsewhere. The GAO found fewer problems among pharmacies in Canada and the United States. But still, the GAO found enough to make me quiver.

For example, the GAO paid for but never received six drug orders totaling more than $700. In addition, some drugs were counterfeit and others had return addresses on the packaging that, when traced, turned out to be private residences.

It turned out that 14 of the 68 pharmacy Web sites tested were under investigation by regulatory agencies for such charges as selling counterfeit drugs or providing prescription drugs where no valid doctor-patient relationship exists. In some cases, foreign Internet pharmacies appeared to offer U.S. versions of brand name drugs on their Web sites, but attempted to substitute an alternative drug during the ordering process.

Here are signs of a suspicious online pharmacy, according to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy:

• Suspect e-pharmacies will dispense prescription medications without requiring you to mail in a prescription, or they may not contact your doctor to obtain a valid verbal prescription. Some send you medication based solely on an online questionnaire.

• If the online pharmacy doesn't have a toll-free phone number as well as a street address posted on its site, watch out. If the only means of communication are by e-mail, your scam bells should be ringing. Illegal pharmacy sites frequently sell their customer lists to other illegitimate online businesses, so be all the more cautious.

• If a site does not advertise the availability of pharmacists for medication consultation, avoid it. Legitimate sites allow consumers to contact pharmacists if they have questions about their medications.

• Be leery of online pharmacies that sell limited numbers of medications. Sites that specialize only in medications that treat sexual dysfunction or assist in weight loss may not be operating legitimately.

There is one way to help identify a legitimate online pharmacy. Contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy at www.nabp.net/vipps/intro.asp. On the site you will find the association's Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program, which is a free service that allows consumers to check the legitimacy of an online pharmacy. Always look for the VIPPS seal and then verify that it's legit with the organization.