Tips on Purchasing Canadian Mail Order Drugs

Recent years saw the rise of online pharmacies and the attempts of the United States government to ban and confiscate drugs sold by drugstores sold outside the country. While the attempts were primarily directed at Canadian online pharmacies that are the American pharmaceuticals biggest competitors, both parties have reached a compromise. Now, Americans can legally purchase Canadian mail order drugs. Here’s how to do it safely:

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   Avoid online pharmacies that sent you spam messages and unsolicited emails.

Legit Canadian online pharmacies respect your privacy and financial security so much that they would not send you any message or email unless you specifically requested for it. As such, it is unwise to choose an online pharmacy just because it made it convenient for you to look for it by sending its link. The best way to look for a Canadian online pharmacy is to ask for recommendations and referrals from profiler websites like PharmacyChecker.

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   Choose an online pharmacy that requires a prescription.

Whether the online pharmacy you are using is a major chain, local, or purely online one, check if it requires a prescription. It is illegal to order and sell prescription medication without a valid Rx in the United States so sites that are offering you the option to do so are probably operating illegally. Beware of sites that do not require prescription since the medicines they are selling may be counterfeit and dangerous to your health. If you are go for a Canadian pharmacy that offers remote consultation, see to it that they ask for your medical history and your regular doctor’s contact information.

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   Check for license and accreditation.

The warehouses, offices, and stockrooms of reputable online pharmacies undergo regular inspections from regulating bodies like the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Associations, and the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites. Other third-party organizations in Canada include the Internet Mailorder Pharmacy Accreditation Commission and the Canadian International Pharmacy Association. A site that is licensed, accredited, and approved by these organizations is legal and can cater to your healthcare needs competently.

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   Look for verifiable contact information.

This is especially crucial for pharmacies that are purely online in operation, more so if it operates outside the United States. Email addresses are not enough; a site must post a verifiable physical address and toll-free phone numbers. If these are not present at the website, opt for another online pharmacy. Contact information is essential especially if you encounter problems with the medication you ordered or if there is a mistake in delivery.

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   Examine the online pharmacy's privacy and security policy.

Since you need to share identifiable, personal information in ordering medicines online, you have to make sure that the online pharmacy will protect any information you divulge and will not use it for its own ends. A good way to do this is to look at the pharmacy’s privacy and security policy. Alternatively, you can look for an icon of a padlock at the bottom of the screen when you are filling out your order form. This means that the site is using a secure encryption system that protects any information you input.

While it’s a good thing that the United States if finally allowing its citizens to purchase cheaper drugs from Canada, it is still a wise decision to be careful. Last time the Food and Drug Administration checked, around 10,000 Canadian online pharmacies were found to be located in the United States and other countries.