Only 50% of web-based pharmacy sites dispense prescriptions through a licensed pharmacist, reports PharmacyChecker.com LLC, a web site that evaluates online pharmacies and compares prices. "Americans are flocking to foreign online pharmacies to save money but often without knowledge of who these companies are, how they operate, and whether they offer the best prices,” says Tod Cooperman, president of PharmacyChecker.com.
PharmacyChecker.com applies five criteria to evaluating a pharmacy site:
* Does it operate with a verified pharmacy license (50% are not licensed)
* Do privacy policies protect personal information (33% lack an
appropriate policy)
* Does it provide a verified, posted physical address and telephone number (42% don't provide these)
* Does it secure online financial transactions (17% are not secure)
* Does it require an original prescription (33% don't require it).
On the pricing front, PharmacyChecker.com found that among sites requiring a prescription, Canadian prices average 49% lower than U.S. prices for brand-name drugs. U.S. sites that don't require prescriptions (and, consequently, are not licensed) charge an average 54% more than U.S. sites that do require prescriptions. Mexican sites typically don't require a prescription and their prices are generally the same as U.S. sites that require a prescription.
PharmacyChecker.com rates Internet pharmacies and compares prices. It says it has no ownership in or by companies that sell or distribute pharmacy products.
Back...
