Buying Medicine and Medical Products over the Internet

Use of the Internet to buy medical products is growing rapidly. Many consumers benefit from the convenience and privacy of this new option. Unfortunately, both consumers and legitimate pharmacies are now being threatened by the “rogue sites” of fraudulent or disreputable Internet businesses that sell products illegally. While FDA is working to combat these illegal sites, these educational products can help to educate consumers on how to safely and legally buy medical products online.

To obtain printed copies of any of these materials, please email your request by title to: dpapubs@fda.hhs.gov. You can also call 301-796-3703 or 1-888-INFO-FDA. 

 

 

• Buying Prescription Medicines Online: A Consumer Safety Guide. Buying your medicine online can be easy. Just make sure you do it safely.

  • En Español "Compra de medicinas recetadas a través del Internet: Una guía para el consumidor. La compra de medicinas recetadas a través del Internet puede ser muy fácil. Sólo tiene que cerciorarse que se haga de una forma segura." Some Web sites sell medicine that may not be safe to use and could put your health at risk. This guide includes tips and resources to help you buy medicines safely and securely over the Internet. This plain language guide is an updated version of the 2000 guide.

• "Reporting Unlawful Sales of Medical Products on the Internet."  This is a reporting site consumers can use to report Web sites that they suspect are illegally selling human drugs, animal drugs, medical devices, biological products, foods, dietary supplements or cosmetics over the Web.

"FDA Consumer Safety Alert: "Don't buy these drugs over the Internet or from foreign sources."  This one-pager is a list of twelve medicines that have known serious side effects.  If these drugs are bought over the Internet or from foreign sources, these safety controls are bypassed, placing patients who use these drugs at higher risk.

• "The Possible Dangers of Buying Medicine Online." This consumer feature article from July 2007 discusses how consumers can protect themselves by shopping online safely.