Best Life: The dangers of buying prescriptions online

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - One in three Americans say they don’t take their medications as prescribed because they can’t afford to.

Rising costs, coupled with high health insurance deductibles have some Americans turning to the internet, but as Ivanhoe shows us, buyers need to beware. The search for life-saving drugs can have life-threatening consequences.

For the 37 million Americans with diabetes, insulin is a critical part of managing high blood sugar. But prices of some diabetes drugs are sky high. in fact, the listed price of one has jumped 200% since it launched. Another is up 715%.

The cost of a popular drug for rheumatoid arthritis is up by 486%. And one nerve pain medication is up 420%.

More and more Americans are searching for better prices on the internet. But health experts say, buyer beware!

“One of the things we have is a project where we order prescription drugs from online pharmacies, analyze them, and see what you’re actually getting,” said Dr. Elizabeth Gardner.

Researchers found some online pharmacies were fake storefronts running scams with expired or unidentified, potentially dangerous chemicals. Some of the tested drugs were inconsistent.

“It did contain the active ingredient, but when we quantified it, we were supposed to be receiving pills that contained 20 milligrams. And they contained anywhere from 18 to 41 milligrams,” said Gardner.

That means consumers were either getting less than they needed or a higher dose than recommended.

The safest bets? The FDA recommends consumers buy from verified online sources related to their individual health plans or their “brick and mortar” pharmacy.

While most consumers assume that online pharmacies are safe, the FDA estimates that only three percent of online pharmacies reviewed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy are in compliance with U.S. Pharmacy Laws and Standards. Money Magazine recommends five online pharmacies: Costco, Pill Pack, Rx Outreach, healthwarehouse.com and Bioplus Specialty Pharmacy.

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