Online shopping has become a part of human life, whether buying clothes, food, or even heavy furniture. Gone are the days when we visit multiple stores to purchase our essentials. Now, with just a few clicks, you get things delivered at your doorstep. But when it comes to buying medicines or medical accessories, you need to be careful.
No doubt the virtual marketplaces have streamlined things, for it is easy, safe, and secure for all. There are numerous mistakes people make while buying medicines online. If you’re to purchase medicines through a digital platform, you must be aware of these pitfalls so you can avoid them. In this blog, we will discuss in detail the critical mistakes you might be making, and you should avoid them to ensure the safety and security of your health.
1. Not Checking the Legitimacy of the Pharmacy
When buying drugs online, people generally do not focus on checking whether the site is legitimate. Most fraude site present themselves as pharmacies and offer medicine at low prices with instant delivery service. Such sites are not safe; they generally sell expired or fake medicines.
2. Avoid the Prescription Requirement
Another common mistake people make while buying medicine online is that they try to purchase without a prescription. It may be easy, but it is not legal and even unsafe for your health. Understand the fact that legitimate sites will never dispense certain medicines without a doctor’s prescription. Prescriptions present a surety that the medicine is suitable and beneficial for your health, and you are taking the right dosage.
- No Focus on Expiry Dates
While making the purchase, people often check costs at different sites, but they do not think about the expiry date. Medical experts recommend never buying expired or short-dated medicines as they can lose effectiveness or even cause health issues mainly that are in liquid, drops, or are heat-sensitive products. Apart from the stories sometime long transit times and poor storage are also responsible for shortening a medicine’s usable life.
4. Going behind Exciting Discounts
Sales, heavy discounts have become common marketing techniques to boost revenue. You get attracted to the site offering discounted prices. But when buying medicine online, do not follow the blind discount game. No doubt, saving money is an important factor when buying, but too many discounts is completely showcase a complete red flag. A certain platform is offering at low prices, it might be because the medicine is of poor quality, close to expiry date, or does not hold approval.
- Buying Second-Hand Medical Equipment
Purchasing second-hand equipment is no doubt a money-saving option, but it is a major mistake you can make in medicine related purchase. When you go for a second-hand medical accessory, you are actually ready to compromise on functionality and effectiveness. It can be a blunder if you are going to buy oxygen concentrators or defibrillators. These products should function without a single defect for users’ safety and health. Here, buying new medical equipment is the right approach to ensure safety standards.
- Not Considering Delivery Services
While quality, functionality, and safety are major concerns, you can not ignore the speed of the product delivery. Some websites claim to deliver the best products in the fastest timeframe, but they provide delayed delivery services, thus causing major complications in case of medical emergencies. If you are buying medicines for any emergency, the delay of medical supplies can prove fatal.
These are some major mistakes to avoid when buying medicine online. Once you work on these steps, you can happily order your medicines and get them delivered to your doorstep. The next section will discuss the precautions you should take.
Tips to Stay Safe While Buying Medicine Online
- Always go for legitimate pharmacy websites for a safe and legal service.
- Cross-check with the government official site to see if the platform is operating legally, and present all the details of the pharmacy.
- Checking the padlock symbol in the address bar is an effective way to ensure the website is secure and the information you provide will be encrypted.
- Online buy-and-sell sites are generally not authorised to sell medication, so avoid such platforms for buying medicine.
- When your package arrives, check it. Medication should come in a box with a patient information sheet containing instructions on how to take it and information on side effects. If it does not, it’s best not to take it.
- If you are purchasing herbal medication, check for the herbal medication authorisation number.
- Finally, inform your doctor that you are going to buy medicine online; they may want to monitor the usage and its effect on the patient.
