11 Minute Read
Online Canadian Pharmacies: 10 Tips for How To Buy Drugs Online
Did you know that, on average, prescription drugs in the U.S. are 2.56 times more expensive than in 32 other nations? Canada, in turn, is one of those 32 countries where medications are cheaper than in the United States.
It’s no wonder, then, that many Americans find prescription drug costs unaffordable. So much so that about 7% of U.S. adults said they couldn’t pay for at least one of their meds in a recent poll.
So if you’re in the same boat, it might be time to buy drugs online from a Canadian pharmacy. That can help you buy prescription medications far more affordable than those you can get in the U.S.
If you’re unsure how to order prescriptions online, worry not, as we’re here to teach you. Read on to discover the top tips for ordering drugs from online Canadian pharmacies.
1. Check the Pharmacy’s Online Security
In 2021 alone, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission received close to 1.4 million identity theft reports. That’s on top of the millions of other fraud incidents reported to the agency. All in all, these crimes resulted in the victims losing $5.8 billion.
Therefore, it’s vital to make online purchases only from highly secure websites. That’s also why reputable online Canadian pharmacies use SSL encryption. It’s a technology that secures internet connections and safeguards sensitive data.
To verify if an online pharmacy uses SSL, check its site URL or address. It should begin with HTTPS, preceded by a lock icon.
2. Look for a Shopping Guarantee
You can also expect legitimate Canadian pharmacies to provide a secure shopping guarantee. One example is the Norton Shopping Guarantee. If you see this trust mark on a website, it means that Norton has inspected and verified the following:
- Merchant’s identity
- Merchant’s financial stability
- Merchant’s ability to honor sales terms and conditions
In addition, you, as a shopper, also get identity theft protection from Norton. You even receive purchase and lowest-price guarantees.
3. Ensure You Have a Valid Prescription
The 21 U.S. Code ยง 829 establishes laws on prescribing medications in the United States. One of its rules is that a valid prescription is mandatory for all prescription drugs. That applies to prescription medications purchased online.
Moreover, the code specifies who can write and fill a valid prescription. By law, only authorized medical practitioners can issue such documents. On the other hand, licensed pharmacists can dispense prescription drugs.
Thus, one of the most crucial steps when buying drugs online is to check if they need a prescription. If they do, you must obtain a prescription written by a licensed practitioner. Without it, you can’t buy medicines from reputable online Canadian pharmacies.
On that note, you can also buy pet medications from an online Canadian pharmacy. However, some of these drugs also require a valid prescription from a veterinarian. Therefore, make sure you get one written for your fluffy, furry family members who are ill.
4. Get Your Scanner or Smartphone Ready
Since reputable pharmacies need your prescription, you must give them a copy of it. One of the easiest ways to do that is to upload a scanned image to their website. You can use an actual scanner, a mobile scanning app, or your phone’s camera.
When you upload your prescription, ensure the image is clear, not blurry or cropped. Do the same if you place an order via email.
Aside from those methods, you can also fax or mail your prescription to the pharmacy. Alternatively, your doctor can contact the pharmacy to place the order on your behalf.
5. Consider Generic Versions
Generic meds are drugs created to be the same as an existing brand-name medicine. They should have the same administration method, dosage, use, and strength. Most importantly, they must mimic the brand-name drug’s performance, quality, and safety.
All those similarities make generic drugs work the same way as brand-name ones. Hence, you can substitute a branded medication with its generic counterpart.
Taking generic drugs is a wise move, too, as they can cost 30% to 95% less than their brand-name counterparts. That lets you save even more, especially when buying from an online Canadian pharmacy.
To top it off, many of the most prescribed brand-name drugs have a generic equivalent.
A perfect example is Lipitor, which used to be one of the top-selling medications in the U.S. and worldwide. It’s a drug that lowers bad cholesterol and reduces the risks of strokes and heart attacks. It’s still available today, but many doctors now prescribe its generic form, atorvastatin.
That said, ask your doctor to prescribe you a generic form of your prescription drugs. They should then write the information in the prescription letter. Legitimate Canadian pharmacies need to check that before they can fill your prescriptions.
6. Feel Free to Ask For Help
In many cases, the price of a specific drug depends on the number of companies that manufacture it. So, the more manufacturers that make the same medication, the cheaper it usually is.
That’s great news, but seeing different versions of the same drug can also be confusing.
For instance, suppose you need to buy metformin, a drug that controls blood sugar levels. If you do an online medication search for it, you might find yourself surprised to see more than a dozen results. Actoplus Met, Glucophage, Glucovance, and Janumet, are just a few of the names you might see.
You can always call your healthcare provider if you’re unsure which of those to choose. However, your doctor might be unable to take your call immediately, such as if they’re on call.
Your other option is to call a pharmacy’s customer service support. Alternatively, you can chat with them if you’re online. Either way, feel free to get in touch with them so you can get answers to your questions in real-time.
You may also request a pharmacy’s service rep to put you in touch with a licensed pharmacist. You can do that if you have concerns or inquiries about specific meds.
7. Take Advantage of Coupons
Before paying for your first-ever medication order online, check for available discount coupons. Reputable online Canadian pharmacies often offer these money-saving deals to first-time customers. Use them to get an extra $10 to $20 savings on your already-affordable prescription drugs.
Likewise, search for coupons the next time you need to order a new prescription drug. Depending on the medication you need to purchase, you can save another $10 to $15.
8. Be a Newsletter Subscriber
Online pharmacy newsletters can be a treasure trove of information on medications. For instance, they can help you stay in the loop of drug costs. You can then use that knowledge to buy before their prices increase or once they go down.
Best of all, if you’re a newsletter subscriber, you can get access to special offers and more discounts. That can help you further reduce your prescription drug costs.
9. Save More With Free Shipping
Some mail-order pharmacies in the U.S. and Canada charge shipping fees that range from $5 to $10. That’s per order, so if you buy from them monthly, you’re looking at an extra cost of $60 to $120 a year on shipping costs alone.
So why not buy drugs online from a Canadian pharmacy that offers free standard shipping? That way, you can pocket all those dollars you’d otherwise pay for shipping.
10. Get Your Prescription Refills on Time
Chronic illnesses affect 60% of U.S. adults. They’re chronic because once a person develops them, they persist, often for life. Examples include hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, and Alzheimer’s.
As a result, people who have chronic illnesses require long-term medication. For the same reason, prescriptions for these medicines are usually valid for up to a year. The issuing healthcare provider may also authorize several refills for the drugs.
So, mind your supply if you need to take prescription drugs for a chronic condition. Otherwise, you might run out and miss a dose, which is never good.
Luckily, a reliable Canadian pharmacy can also help prevent that by requesting refills. They can do so by getting in touch with and letting your doctor know you’re about to run out. Moreover, you can have the pharmacy tell you if your current prescription is about to expire.
Bonus tip: You can order up to a three-month supply of your prescription medications. Do this, and you can worry less, knowing your meds will last for the next 90 days.
Besides, the higher the quantity you buy, the lower the per-unit price usually is. That means you can save even more if you buy a three-monthly supply.
Follow These Tips When You Buy Drugs Online
There you have it, the top ten tips to abide by whenever you buy drugs online from a Canadian pharmacy. Now you know that you always need a valid prescription and that you can save even more with deals and discounts.
So, why not consider ordering meds from the comfort, convenience, and safety of your home?
If you’re ready to order low-cost prescription meds, Canadian Pharmacy Online can help. Get in touch with us now, and we’ll be happy to assist you in getting the prescriptions you need!
WORKS CITED:
- https://www.rand.org/news/press/2021/01/28.html
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prescription-drug-prices-afford-18-million-americans/
- https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/02/new-data-shows-ftc-received-28-million-fraud-reports-consumers-2021-0
- https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/21/829
- https://canadianpharmacyonline.com/pet-medications/
- https://canadianpharmacyonline.com/rx-upload/
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/generic-drug-safety-and-effectiveness-1738890
- https://canadianpharmacyonline.com/how-to-safely-buy-medicine-online/
- https://canadianpharmacyonline.com/medications/
- https://canadianpharmacyonline.com/rx-coupons/
- https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.htm
- https://canadianpharmacyonline.com/contact-us/