Thousands of e-mails are sent and received every day with subject lines such as “Medicine Cheap Online,” “Buy Valium for Less,” “Prescription Drugs for Less,” and so forth. Internet pharmacies have been popping up all over the place and their prices can be cheaper than pharmacy prices. So is it okay to buy from these online providers? What are the risks?

There are some pharmacies online that are respectable, but many are not. There are risks from buying drugs from a pharmacy that is not safe. The first is that the pharmacy may send medications that are substandard. Because these pharmacies are able to narrowly avoid laws, they often send second medicines or those that are rejects. Also, because they are focused on sending medications and not on patient safety, they may send medications that cannot be combined without warning consumers. They won’t know about a patient’s preexisting conditions or prescriptions that could react poorly with certain medications.

There are some internet pharmacies that are reputable, but it is harder to find a trustworthy online pharmacy whose prices are cheaper than a normal pharmacy (for those simply prefer the convenience of buying online most standard pharmacies have their own websites). Internet pharmacies claim that their prices are cheaper because they can store medicines in one place and sell them in larger quantities. However, the prices also may be cheaper because of substandard medication.

When trying to decide if a pharmacy is reputable, first look at the whole site. Does it look professional or does it look like an inexperienced web designer created it in his or her basement? Next see if there is a phone number or address where clients can reach an actual human being. If there is a phone number, call it and ask about the pharmacy, its verification policies for medicine, and its customer service. If the number seems to connect only to an answering machine with no people to return calls, beware. Check for seals from a board of pharmacy, prescription policy/verification and client support. If an actual prescription from a doctor isn’t required there is a good chance the site isn’t trustworthy.

The most trustworthy sites have a “Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites” (VIPPS) seal, which means that there is an actual certified pharmacist who administers the drugs for the site. These sites are trustworthy, although there aren’t very many and many are divisions of actual drug stores, so the prices are the same whether the prescription is paid for in person or online. Remember, safety is the most important issue when buying prescription drugs anywhere: verify the site you are considering using.