Ordering Prescription Drugs Online – FAQs
Ordering prescriptions online through an online pharmacy is normally a safe and secure process. It is important that you understand the measures used to ensure that personal and financial information is kept safe and secure and most importantly what you as a buyer need to look for to ensure that the site you’re considering ordering your medication from is secure.
It may be hard to believe, but there are unscrupulous site owners out there that don’t even use a secure page for you to enter your information. You need to have a basic understanding of how sites secure the information you send and what to look for when they don’t.
The questions outlined below are those we are most frequently asked. If you have a question that is not addressed below, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
1) Does ordering prescription medications online put my personal information at risk?
Reputable online pharmacies will use SSL encryption technology (secure socket layers) to protect the information you send over the Internet. This is the same technology used by banks and the financial industry to protect information online. When you are presented with any sort of order form you should be taken to a secure, SSL-encrypted webpage. When you are the information you enter is encrypted before being sent over the Internet. Then at the other end, it is decrypted.
You can ALWAYS tell you’re on a secure webpage by viewing the small padlock icon at the bottom right of your screen.
If you don’t see this lock – DO NOT ENTER ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION!!! Without this lock the information you enter could be intercepted by ANYONE and sold, distributed without your knowledge.
2) When I order medication online, who is actually viewing my personal information?
With any reputable online pharmacy, licensed US physicians will initially review your order to ensure that you are a good candidate for that prescription’s use, and then your information is passed on to a licensed US pharmacist who will then fill your prescription. However even with a secure site the information your providing could be viewed by the site owner, depending on what they are doing behind the scenes with the data from the form. To ensure your information isn’t being viewed by anyone other than a doctor and a pharmacist, only deal with reputable online pharmacies that you are sure you can trust or have heard of in the real world.
3) Why must I fill out a medical questionnaire and what’s with all the questions?
It is by reviewing the details on a patient’s medical questionnaire, also known as an online consult, that a physician is able to determine whether a prescription drug is safe for a patient to use. If you insist on ordering your medications online without speaking to your doctor in person first, we would strongly advise you to fill out the medical questionnaire as accurately and as completely as possible. If the physician has any concerns about possible health risks, allergies, or drug interactions, they will not allow the prescription to be filled, or they will contact a patient for further health information.
4) Is there a charge for this online consult?
Most online pharmacies do not charge for the online consult, however, you need to pay attention and read through the site and the order forms to ensure they aren’t hiding it.
5) If I do order my medication online, how long will it take for me to actually receive my order?
With a reputable online pharmacy the order, review, and fulfillment process typically takes 2-4 business days. The process is as follows. After you place your order, your request is reviewed by a staff physician. Once the physician has determined that the prescription is safe for a patient’s use, the doctor then sends the prescription to the pharmacy to be filled. Once dispensed, the order is then sent to the patient via FedEx delivery.
6) Is there a delivery charge?
Unless the online pharmacy is offering a special promotion, shipping your prescription will cost approximately $18.00 for courier delivery. This delivery charge is clearly stated on the order form and is included with the total price of your order. Just make sure you review the order form as some sites don’t list the shipping until you are 3/4 of the way through filling out their order form.
7) Is order tracking provided?
There are two methods you can use to find out where your order is. Any reputable online pharmacy will offer a secure login section for you to enter a username and password that is emailed to you immediately following order placement. In addition, any reputable online pharmacy will offer 24/7 toll-free customer service lines.
10) What if I don’t want anyone to know what’s being delivered to me?
Reputable online pharmacies will assume that you don’t want your neighbor to see what their delivery includes. Therefore, prescriptions are normally wrapped in discreet, plain packaging.
More questions? Contact us.