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Home > Consumer Focus Archive > How to Find Reliable Health Information > Medical Products On-Line
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Consumer Focus: How to
Find Reliable Health Information |
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Medical Products On-Line
More and more consumers
are clicking onto the Internet to purchase prescription drugs and other health
products, rather than making a trip to their local pharmacy. Many of these
websites are lawful businesses and offer privacy, convenience, potential
cost-savings, and other traditional safeguards. But, consumers need to be aware
there are some who are using the Internet as an outlet for products or
practices that may be illegal or whose practices may be questionable.
Learn more about:
If you suspect a site
is illegitimate, report it to the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration.
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To Buy or Not
to Buy? Sifting Through all That Information
Consumers should be
cautious and be on the lookout for fraudulent products or claims. Medical
products bought through the Internet could present a danger, inconvenience, or
a loss of money to you:
- Look for assurances
of the safety and effectiveness of the product (check that the website is a
licensed pharmacy in good standing.
- Check for detailed
instructions for use, dosage and precautions. Ask if a pharmacist is available
to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.
- Quality of the product
cannot always be guaranteed - in other words - that the product contains the
right active ingredients or has been manufactured, packaged, transported and
properly stored before you buy it, or the product may be out of
date.
- Quality of the product
cannot always be guaranteed - in other words - that the product contains the
right active ingredients or has been manufactured, packaged, transported and
properly stored before you buy it, or the product may be out of
date.
- Your personal
information may not always remain confidential. Verify that the site is
secure and ask how your information will be used or shared.
- Make sure the product
is approved for sale and use in the U.S. If purchasing a diagnostic test, check
to see if the FDA has cleared or
approved the product for use at home.
Warning signs that
medical product information may not be truthful:
- Advertisements or
information that use phrases such as scientific breakthrough, secret
formula, ancient ingredient, without risk, and exclusive
product.
- Advertisements that
tout the latest trendy ingredient in the news headlines.
- Claims that the
product is available from only one source, for a limited time.
- Claims that a product
is scientifically proven, absolutely safe, and of no risk - remember, no
product or treatment is completely risk-free.
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Medications On-Line
In response to public
concern regarding the safety of pharmacy practices on the Internet, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
(NABP) developed the Verified
Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program. The VIPPS seal of
approval identifies those online pharmacy practice sites that are appropriately
licensed, are legitimately operating via the Internet, and that have completed
a review and inspection. It also indicates the pharmacy complies with the
licensing and inspection requirement of their state and each state to which
they dispense pharmaceuticals.
Basic Points to Consider Before Purchase:
- Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
to determine whether a website is a licensed pharmacy in good
standing.
- Look for the VIPPS
seal, which indicates the site has passed the rigid criteria of the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice
Sites program.
- Don't do business with
sites that sell medication without a prescription.
- If a site does not
advertise the availability of pharmacists for medication consultation, it
should be avoided.
- Avoid sites that do
not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S. address and
phone number to contact if there is a problem.
- Don't buy from a site
that offers to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a
physical exam.
- Talk to your
health-care professional before using any medications for the first
time.
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Dietary
Supplements On-Line
Dietary supplements are
some of the hottest selling items on the market today. You don't need to live
near a nutrition specialty store to purchase these products - they are readily
available on the Internet. Little is known about the long-term effects of these
products in adults, and even less about their effects on youngsters. Many
purchase these products in hopes that pills, drinks and powders will help them
bulk up, slim down, compete more effectively, be more energetic, or help
relieve their arthritis or improve memory. Unfortunately, many of these
products are untested, largely unregulated medications. They may contain
powerful and potentially harmful substances. For more information on dietary
supplements and their side effects, visit the FDA's Center for Food Safety and
Applied Nutrition.
Note: Manufacturers
are responsible for making sure their products are safe before they are sold
and that the claims on their labels are accurate and truthful. Dietary
supplement products are not reviewed by the government before they are
marketed.
Basic Points to
Consider Before Purchase:
- Think about your
total diet. These products are intended only to supplement one's diet - too
many nutrients can cause problems.
- Consider the benefits
and check the upper safe limits of vitamins and minerals you can
take.
- Supplements contain
active ingredients that can have some strong effects. Their safety is not
always assured in all users.
- Check with your
doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare provider before using a
supplement.
- The label should include:
directions for use, list serving size, amount, and active ingredients.
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Medical
Devices Online
Medical devices
include such products as hearing aids, contact
lenses, magnets, and diagnostic test
kits (such as at-home pregnancy test kits). The Internet offers many
quality medical devices from legitimate sites, it also offers medical devices
that don't work and some that may even harmful you or your family. Some sites
may sell medical devices for unapproved uses and others sell prescription
devices without asking for a prescription.
Basic Points to
Consider Before Purchase:
- Certain health
conditions may affect your ability to use a device (weakness, side effects of
medication).
- Do you have the
physical size and strength (lifting ability, endurance, flexibility) to use the
device?
- Complex instructions
may affect your ability to use the product. Ask if any training is
required.
- Sources of
electromagnetic interference (electrical machinery, AM FM TV broadcast
antenna), may affect the device.
- Is the device simple
to set up, operate, clean and maintain? If replacement parts are required, how
frequently are they needed and how expensive are they?.
- Make sure the device
has been cleared or approved by the FDA for sale in the
U.S.
- Follow-up with your
physician as it is important to ensure proper fit, that the product is
operating properly, to check for any irregularities or to discuss and
modifications to your treatment or schedule that may be needed.
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Other Resources
This is just a brief
overview. For more information on buying medical products online, check out
these resources from FCIC and the World Wide Web:
Publications available for ordering
from FCIC:
Websites*:
* Names of resources
and organizations included in this online article are provided as examples
only, and their inclusion does not mean that they are endorsed by the Federal
Citizen Information Center or any other Government agency. Also, if a
particular resource or organization is not mentioned, this does not mean or
imply that it is unsatisfactory.
*If
you click on these links, you are leaving FCIC's website. Please bookmark us
before you leave so you can return easily. FCIC is not responsible for the
content of these websites.
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We will not retain or use this
information for any other purpose.
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For more information on other popular consumer issues
check out FCIC's Consumer Focus
Archive.
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