We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Medicine

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is an Online Prescription?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 17, 2024
Views: 3,601
Share

An online prescription could be a medication obtained from an online pharmacy, or it could be a prescription written online by a doctor. In the former definition, the online prescription may simply be a cheaper way of obtaining certain types of medicines, though each country has its guidelines on the safest ways to shop online. The latter definition is a little sketchier, a practice that has been designed to sell drugs from the pharmacy, and against which many health agencies strongly advise.

Lots of people are turning to obtaining an online prescription or more than one. For some people it makes better sense and may prove less expensive than getting medications locally. It’s strongly advised people use pharmacies that have obtained certain licensing and that have pharmacists who also have regional/state/country licensing too. There are various recommendations on whether it is safe to obtain prescriptions from other countries, and here people must make their own judgment calls on the matter. Of course, shipping medications from another country could be costly and might mitigate any potential savings.

The practice of obtaining an online prescription for medications is one being adopted by a number of pharmacies. Certain medications can possibly be obtained without one, but depending on state regulations others require prescriptions, especially for some medications that are pain relievers or tranquilizers. These drugs can be extremely dangerous when overused, and a doctor from an online pharmacy cannot tell from an email or chat conversation if misuse is planned. Eventually, they could divine this by establishing a patient record, but people could just order drugs from a different pharmacy the next time.

Most health agencies are strongly opposed to this method of getting an online prescription. They feel customers are safest if they see a doctor locally and decide with that doctor what medications are appropriate. The online prescription by doctor method does seem ripe for abuse. It doesn’t really offer a physical medical exam and allows people quick access to some medications with severe side effects and real potential for abuse. Many argue it is a system that is set up so people can routinely gain access to medications they shouldn’t have and that might hurt them.

Others argue they don’t want to have to go into a doctor and pay more money to get something they think they need. They should be able to obtain their Viagra® or Valium® without a lot of questions. Yet, these two medications are not without danger. Viagra® can drop blood pressure to dangerous levels, and Valium® is an addictive medication that can cause medically serious conditions if withdrawal occurs quickly. Ultimately, it is easy to abuse the system, particularly when people know how to answer questions that might minimize their chances of an online doctor prescribing a drug, and they could lie about blood pressure medicines or other use of benzodiazepines easily.

There are agencies that regulate online prescription but it’s not always possible to tell degree of regulation at a single pharmacy. People can verify that a pharmacy is registered through their country or regional area. Another good idea is to discuss reputable online pharmacies with doctors.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wisegeek.net/what-is-an-online-prescription.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.