Most consumers today no longer have any concerns about ordering things online. Not only clothes and electronics are in high demand, but also the low prices and the large selection of the online pharmacy attract customers. In order for everything to go well when buying medication, however, a few things should be considered.
Consumers should definitely pay attention to this when buying
In the first step, consumers can pay attention to the imprint when visiting the shop. In Germany it is mandatory that every website and every shop has one. If the imprint is complete, customers have at least specific contact details and an official contact person. If there are problems buying medication, this data can be used for an advertisement, for example.
With an online pharmacy in particular, it is important that the operator is not just anyone, but a specialist with an understanding of the subject. It is best if that person is a pharmacist. It is also important to find out.
Which drugs can be ordered through online pharmacies?
Prescription drugs can also be obtained against an original prescription from the doctor. However, some of these online offers are not allowed to accept special prescriptions (T-prescriptions). These are the active ingredients pomalidomod, lenalidomide and thalidomide. BTM prescriptions for narcotics such as cannabis or tilidine may also not be ordered via this.
Redeem a prescription online at online pharmacies
The topic of prescriptions in particular is groundbreaking when buying medicines on the Internet. If the shop offers that you can issue a prescription yourself via certain portals and then redeem it in the shop concerned, it is more likely not a serious shop. This procedure is forbidden in Germany.
Pharmacies generally require the original prescription in order to be able to issue prescription prescriptions to customers. If the virtual pharmacy doesn't do this, customers should be skeptical.
Consumers also have to be careful if there are drugs in the pharmacy that are not officially approved in Germany. These drugs can be dangerous under certain circumstances or the shop is cheating by not sending the products mentioned after payment has been made.
In order to ensure that the offer is not fraudulent, the imprint should also be checked. A landline number should be stored here, as well as a company address and the name of the managing director.
In addition, the offer must be secured via SSL certificate, because this has been mandatory since the new data protection regulation from May 2018 at the latest. This can be recognized by the fact that a green lock is displayed next to the address in the browser tab. The website can also be entered in the Google search, where customer reviews should also be found. If not, the offer still seems very fresh. Whether an order should be placed here is at your own discretion.
When is it a dubious drug offer?
There are various markets on the Internet for drugs that are anything but safe. Most of the time, the meshes of the affected shops are quite similar, so that informed consumers can recognize them. Often it is also effective if the drugs are obtained via platforms such as Amazon, because that way you would have Amazon as your second point of contact.
The pharmacy advertises the exclusive sale of a certain drug that cannot be bought anywhere else? Hands off! The same applies if either negative experience reports can be found on the Internet, where people did not receive the products or other problems with the delivery occurred. The opposite is just as fatal: If consumers only read reviews that praise the online pharmacy to the sky and are far too exuberant to be real, they usually don't either.
Extremely low prices are always unnatural
In addition, an Internet pharmacy can never advertise a particularly low price, because the purchase prices for prescription drugs are a bit more expensive. It may be a counterfeit product or the online pharmacist will not send the goods.
It becomes dubious in particular when prescription drugs can be ordered without a prescription. In this case, the provider is by no means trustworthy and it is grossly negligent if an order is placed with it.
How to take a drug
An online pharmacy is no different from a local pharmacy. The mail-order pharmacy can also be informed about which additional medication is being taken. This should also be mentioned so that the pharmacist can warn of possible interactions.
In addition, a telephone number should always be given for questions, because most questions can be clarified as quickly as possible via a conversation. However, if you have your own questions, you should of course always dial the hotline, because every single day counts when it comes to medication. The earlier you can order, the better.
Which shipping costs are considered serious?
The shipping costs vary from offer to offer. Usually the shipping costs within Germany are between four and seven euros. However, express shipping could also be used, here the costs are 50 to 70 percent higher.
Free delivery is often guaranteed after a certain turnover. For many providers, this minimum order value is 50 euros. Larger deliveries are particularly worthwhile instead of several smaller orders over several weeks.
The quality of advice is not always optimal
According to a report by Stiftung Warentest from the end of 2017, the quality of advice is rarely optimal. For example, some providers did not mention any drug interactions at all, and other questions were also given insufficient answers. Anyone who depends on the best possible advice should prefer the local pharmacy they trust.
Conclusion: keep your eyes open when buying medication online
In this area in particular, there are many fraudsters who want to take money from people without actually delivering the drugs. It is important that the order button is only clicked when consumers are sure that it is a shop that complies with applicable German law, does not want to rip anyone off and only sells drugs that are officially approved here .
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