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November 6th, 2003, 08:08 AM
Don't pass up the on-line pharmacy route
By MICHAEL WOODS, Toledo Blade
November 6, 2003
Mention the term "Internet pharmacy," and people often think of shoddy, fly-by-night web sites that sell Viagra, diet pills, and other drugs to anyone with cash. Some peddle counterfeit or illegal drugs.
Just fill out a health questionnaire and you get the drug - no prescription or real doctor's exam needed, and sometimes no licensed pharmacist doing the dispensing.
That's a shame. Those slip-shod operations tarnish the image of legitimate online pharmacies, and make people reluctant to use a service that can be wonderfully convenient.
Online pharmacies allow people to get prescriptions filled and refilled without leaving home. They save time for busy people, eliminating the need to drive to the neighborhood pharmacy, stand in line, and wait for a prescription.
And they can be a godsend for older individuals who have difficulty leaving home because of mobility problems.
Most also provide online shopping for nonprescription drugs, cosmetics, and other products found on pharmacy shelves.
Start by making sure that you are dealing with a licensed online pharmacy. That's easy for major chains like CVS (www.cvs.com), Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), and Medco (www.medcohealth.com), or pioneering online pharmacies like DrugStore.com (www.drugstore.com). But there are many other smaller online pharmacies with less name recognition.
If uncertain, check a state-by state list of licensed online pharmacies maintained and constantly updated by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (www.nabp.net). It includes online pharmacies in Canada and some foreign countries. Listing assures that your prescription will be filled by a licensed pharmacist.
How do online pharmacies work? New customers must register. That means you keyboard contact information into a screen, and select a user ID and password. On your next visit, and you go directly to your own personal area of the web site, with information on your prescriptions.
Getting a new prescription filled involves asking the doctor's office to call the pharmacy, or mailing in the paper prescription. Some online pharmacies will call the doctor's office. Most will transfer existing prescriptions from another pharmacy. They do handle insurance coverage.
Refills are a snap. Just make the request online. The prescription can be shipped to your home, or you can pick it up in person if the pharmacy has a local outlet.
Some online pharmacies provide additional services, including information about drugs, diseases, and even comparisons of how their prices stack up against competitors.
Automatic prescription refills, or email notices at refill time, can be especially helpful for people taking several different prescription drugs. They can assure that you won't forget to order a refill and go without medication.
People who use online pharmacies do miss person-to-person interaction with the pharmacist, which can answer questions or provide useful information about a drug or disease. Pharmacists are a highly trained but often-underused medical resource.
Customers, however, usually can email questions to online pharmacies, and some companies are exploring use of instant messaging. That would allow back and forth keyboard "conversations" with the pharmacist.
http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan/article/0,2071,NPD (http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan/article/0,2071,NPDN_14939_2405596,00.html) N_14939_2405596,00.html
By MICHAEL WOODS, Toledo Blade
November 6, 2003
Mention the term "Internet pharmacy," and people often think of shoddy, fly-by-night web sites that sell Viagra, diet pills, and other drugs to anyone with cash. Some peddle counterfeit or illegal drugs.
Just fill out a health questionnaire and you get the drug - no prescription or real doctor's exam needed, and sometimes no licensed pharmacist doing the dispensing.
That's a shame. Those slip-shod operations tarnish the image of legitimate online pharmacies, and make people reluctant to use a service that can be wonderfully convenient.
Online pharmacies allow people to get prescriptions filled and refilled without leaving home. They save time for busy people, eliminating the need to drive to the neighborhood pharmacy, stand in line, and wait for a prescription.
And they can be a godsend for older individuals who have difficulty leaving home because of mobility problems.
Most also provide online shopping for nonprescription drugs, cosmetics, and other products found on pharmacy shelves.
Start by making sure that you are dealing with a licensed online pharmacy. That's easy for major chains like CVS (www.cvs.com), Walgreens (www.walgreens.com), and Medco (www.medcohealth.com), or pioneering online pharmacies like DrugStore.com (www.drugstore.com). But there are many other smaller online pharmacies with less name recognition.
If uncertain, check a state-by state list of licensed online pharmacies maintained and constantly updated by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (www.nabp.net). It includes online pharmacies in Canada and some foreign countries. Listing assures that your prescription will be filled by a licensed pharmacist.
How do online pharmacies work? New customers must register. That means you keyboard contact information into a screen, and select a user ID and password. On your next visit, and you go directly to your own personal area of the web site, with information on your prescriptions.
Getting a new prescription filled involves asking the doctor's office to call the pharmacy, or mailing in the paper prescription. Some online pharmacies will call the doctor's office. Most will transfer existing prescriptions from another pharmacy. They do handle insurance coverage.
Refills are a snap. Just make the request online. The prescription can be shipped to your home, or you can pick it up in person if the pharmacy has a local outlet.
Some online pharmacies provide additional services, including information about drugs, diseases, and even comparisons of how their prices stack up against competitors.
Automatic prescription refills, or email notices at refill time, can be especially helpful for people taking several different prescription drugs. They can assure that you won't forget to order a refill and go without medication.
People who use online pharmacies do miss person-to-person interaction with the pharmacist, which can answer questions or provide useful information about a drug or disease. Pharmacists are a highly trained but often-underused medical resource.
Customers, however, usually can email questions to online pharmacies, and some companies are exploring use of instant messaging. That would allow back and forth keyboard "conversations" with the pharmacist.
http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan/article/0,2071,NPD (http://www.naplesnews.com/npdn/neapolitan/article/0,2071,NPDN_14939_2405596,00.html) N_14939_2405596,00.html