5 Tips for Choosing a Canadian Online Pharmacy

A recent survey by the ASPE revealed that US medication prices were at least 190% higher than those in other countries. That includes discounts and rebates.

So, if you need chronic medication, there’s a good chance you’ll need to shop elsewhere to safeguard your health. Fortunately, it’s legal to buy the drugs you need in Canada and ship them to your home, provided you comply with the legalities involved.

As long as you have a prescription and are ordering drugs that are legal in the U.S., you’re free to get your medication from a Canadian online pharmacy.

Keep reading to find out how you can ensure your safety when you shop online with Canadian online pharmacies.

1. Focus on the Finer Points

It’s easy for unscrupulous online pharmacies to hide behind the internet. One way to make sure you’re dealing with a legitimate operator is to check their contact details.

Like any other reputable business, an above-board pharmacy will have a brick-and-mortar address and contact telephone number.

You should check this address to make sure it’s legitimate. This is as simple as punching the address into Google Maps and taking a look at their location.

The relevant Canadian Pharmacy Regulatory Authority for that area can also verify the address for you. So, if the website lists a Quebec address, get in touch with the pharmacy regulatory authority for Quebec.

Call the telephone number provided. Does a human being answer the phone?

It’s easy for a fake pharmacy to set up a recording or use a chatbot to handle their communication. 

2. Look For Licensing Details

Every Canadian pharmacy must have a drug establishment license. This allows them to dispense, import, and export medications legally. 

You should also check whether the pharmacy has a Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) accreditation. This association came about in 2002 to ensure you can shop safely at online pharmacies located in Canada.

CIPA members follow a set of strict procedures and must abide by policies to ensure the safety and privacy of online shoppers. You can check whether a pharmacy has accreditation by visiting the CIPA Safe Pharmacies website or calling them to check. 

All pharmacies accredited by CIPA will display the CIPA seal, but you should still check whether they’re legitimate before placing your order. 

3. Investigate Their Security

The security of your information is of paramount importance when shopping online with Canadian pharmacies, or elsewhere. You should conduct the same checks you do whenever you order from an online shop.

The best Canadian pharmacies will have an “HTTPS” prefix to their web address to indicate that their website is secure. Another way to make sure you’re shopping on a secure site is to look for the padlock icon in front of their web address. 

You should also take a look at the privacy policy described on their website. This explains how the pharmacy will protect your information to avoid it falling into the hands of a third party.

Never shop with an online pharmacy that doesn’t describe its security measures openly and clearly. 

Pharmacies in Canada should handle your personal information according to the terms stated in the following acts:

• Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canada
• Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of British Columbia

These laws dictate that every online shop must use advanced encryption for their customers’ personal and financial data.  

4. Check Their Processes

Take a look at the steps involved when ordering medication from the online pharmacy and look around their website for more clues about how they run their business.

Legitimate online pharmacies always require a prescription and take steps to verify that it’s legitimate before dispensing any drugs.

Find out where they’re getting their medication from. Different countries have varying regulations when it comes to medication quality standards and manufacturing processes. 

It’s always best to use medication from an established supplier located in Europe or North America. Medications from third-world countries aren’t well regulated.

The relevant authorities have caught several Indian and Chinese manufacturers selling substandard drugs.

Never compromise on this, low-quality or fake medications can cause permanent damage to your health and even kill you. 

Finally, Canadian law requires that all online pharmacies have a licensed pharmacist available to handle any medicine-related queries. You can also verify these professionals’ qualifications with the relevant territorial or provincial licensing authority.

5. Read Canadian Online Pharmacy Reviews

When you shop online, you want to enjoy convenient, efficient service. One way to ensure you get this is by checking online reviews on an independent website.

These third-party accounts are the online equivalent of a word-of-mouth recommendation. The following phrases can help you identify a good online pharmacy:

• Efficient service
• Fast delivery
• Fair prices
• Quick query resolution

Every business will endure the occasional bad review. So you should pay attention to how the online pharmacy resolves these issues rather than disregard them due to one unhappy customer. 

Your Health Matters to Us

Ordering your medication online can be a risky undertaking unless you follow the pointers above. When you shop with us, we guarantee our best attention and service every step of the way.

Our Canadian online pharmacy stocks only the best brand name and generic medications sourced from legitimate and reputable suppliers. We check every prescription to ensure it’s valid, and we have a doctor on call to answer any questions.

We have hundreds of positive online reviews to back up these claims. Browse our online pharmacy catalog, register to make your purchase, or get in touch for assistance.