FDA partners internationally to protect consumers from fake online pharmacies

FDA partners internationally to protect consumers from fake online pharmacies

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) participated last week in an international effort that took action against thousands of websites that illegally sell potentially dangerous prescription medicines to consumers, but many thousands more of these sites are still operating. FDA is committed to protecting consumers from these fake online pharmacies and developed BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy to help.

Check out the BeSafeRx website. It offers resources for consumers, health professionals, and organizations about the risks of purchasing from a fraudulent online pharmacy and how to identify them. You can also use the interactive map to find legitimate, state-licensed online pharmacies from which to purchase medications. Fake online pharmacies can manipulate their websites to appear legitimate, so checking the pharmacy’s license through your state board of pharmacy or an equivalent state agency is an important step to know whether you are using a safe and legal online pharmacy. 

People who buy medicines from fraudulent sites put their health at risk because the products can contain the wrong ingredients, or too little or too much of the active ingredient, or they might be made with other harmful substances. As a result, you may not receive the therapy you need, or you may experience unexpected side effects and possibly get worse. 

Before you consider purchasing prescription medicines from an online pharmacy not associated with a health insurance plan or local “brick-and-mortar” pharmacy, check out the interactive map and other resources at BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy.