More people are turning to online pharmacies to order their prescriptions, but this convenience comes with risks. Scammers are creating phony pharmacies to take advantage of the uptick in demand for popular prescription drugs, most recently Ozempic, a prescription-only diabetes drug. If the drug is being advertised at bargain prices with no prescription necessary, it’s probably a scam!
Here are top three red flags to look out for:
- Don’t use digital wallet apps to pay for a prescription. Legitimate pharmacies won’t ask you to pay using a digital wallet app, prepaid debit cards, or wired funds.
- Don’t buy medications from a seller that doesn’t ask for a prescription. Selling prescription drugs without a prescription is illegal!
- Don’t buy prescriptions from foreign countries. Non-FDA approved products sold by internet pharmacies in other countries could be mislabeled, expired, ineffective or even toxic.
Ordering medications online can save you time and money – only if you’re buying from a reputable pharmacy. Do your research and make sure the pharmacy is licensed and has legitimate contact information. If the pharmacy is accredited by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), their website will have a “.pharmacy” domain. The NABP estimates that out of thousands of online pharmacies, only 3 percent comply with U.S. pharmacy laws or professional standards.
If you are a Merrimack customer and are concerned your personal or financial information was compromised, please call us directly at 603.225.2793.