Buyer Beware: Don't Fall for These Common Mail Order Pharmacy Scams

Canadian and other international online pharmacies can help you (and have already helped millions of Americans) save a lot of money. How much are we talking here? Often, folks who compare prices on www.pharmacychecker.com end up paying a whopping 90% less than what they might pay at their local Walgreens or Walmart. With prescription drug savings like that, it can be tempting to dive right in! “What’s to lose?” Well, unfortunately, there’s plenty. The Internet is a minefield of trouble due to dangerous rogue websites that pose as legitimate online pharmacies, so you need to know what you're doing to save money safely.

“Rogue pharmacies,” as we call them, are out to steal sensitive financial information (at worse) and peddle counterfeit medications (even worse!). Seniors looking for lower-priced drugs online don’t deserve this kind of trickery. That’s where we come in! PharmacyChecker.com works to ensure consumers don’t encounter this kind of perilous online trap. We accredit and monitor only those online pharmacies that process orders filled by licensed pharmacies that require valid prescriptions. 

Due to seniors being the most likely to need medication, they are the most susceptible to these types of scams. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, 89% of adults over age 65 report taking at least one medication. And nearly a quarter of them report finding it “difficult” to afford it. And when affordability is a factor, where do most of us head these days? The internet.

We know many of you have Medicare Part D plans. The international, online pharmacy option is most helpful when those plans are not covering the medication you need or are still too expensive. 

Below are a few ways seniors -- and other savvy consumers --  can avoid online pharmacy scams in the search for affordable medication.

1. Check out the trusted list of accredited pharmacies on PharmacyChecker.com!

Safe online pharmacies with lower drug prices help seniors in Florida and beyond afford the treatments they need. PharmacyChecker.com does not sell medications, but we know who does and how you can save the most money.

And we’ve been accrediting and monitoring them for decades: PharmacyChecker.com, an American company, was founded in 2002. You can review our list of reputable online pharmacy websites that are accredited and monitored through the PharmacyChecker Verification Program on our website. Accredited pharmacies have locations in Canada, Australia, India, Mauritius, New Zealand, Turkey, the UK, and the United States. Our list of accredited pharmacies is located here: https://www.pharmacychecker.com/accredited-online-pharmacies/ 

You may have heard that importing medication is in a legal gray area. While that’s true, patients who fill a prescription with a foreign pharmacy due to cost are not prosecuted.

2. Find and click the accreditation seal.

Many good international online pharmacies worth their salt will have a visible seal of accreditation from the PharmacyChecker Verification Program. Counterfeit pharmacies sometimes try to copy our seals in order to look more reputable. In order not to be fooled, you can do a few things:

1. Click the seal. A legitimate seal will direct you to information hosted on our website under www.pharmacychecker.com.

2. Look at the date on the seal. The PharmacyChecker seal changes each day to match that particular day. If the date on the seal does not match the current date, it is likely a fake seal!

3. You can also visit our PharmacyChecker Verification Portal to type in the name or URL of your online pharmacy to verify whether it is accredited here: www.pharmacychecker.com/verification-portal/ 

3. Ask your doctor about it.

Talk to your doctor or provider about their experiences with Canadian or other international online pharmacies. Many doctors have said that they point their patients towards PharmacyChecker.com when prescriptions are too expensive for them. Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal, Author of American Sickness and Editor-in-Chief of Kaiser Health News, has praised the work of PharmacyChecker:

PharmacyChecker.com, started by a physician, connects patients to overseas mail-order pharmacies, which it vets for quality. It's a good resource for patients who want to import medicines as a way to reduce their drug costs.”

Recently, a medical practice manager wrote:

I [have been] the manager of a cardiology practice for 17 years. We very often advise our patients get their medications, [which] they cannot afford at US prices, from Canada. I personally give out the pharmacychecker.com information.”

4. Make sure the website asks you for a prescription.

Perhaps the #1 sign you’re dealing with a shady operation is if they do not ask for a  prescription! A rogue website is not looking after your health. It is looking to take your money and walk away. Any reputable pharmacy will request a prescription. If you are able to complete a transaction without offering up your script, abort the situation.

5. Call and make sure you speak to a real person.

Like the pharmacy down the street, the online pharmacy should have a licensed pharmacist available to speak directly to the customer. When you call a pharmacy accredited by PharmacyChecker, you won’t get a recording or a bot. If you have any concerns, call PharmacyChecker! We are experts in sniffing out scammers.  You can contact us at info@pharmacychecker.com or call (718) 554-3067.