With the rising prices of prescription drugs in the United States of America, and the absence of any price regulation policies, the consumers/patient in need of prescription drugs are gradually turning to cheaper modes of getting prescription drugs, such as the online purchasing. According to one estimate there are more than 100 web sites selling prescription drugs alone.
However, with this new form of selling prescription drugs, there are drawbacks as well for both the government of the United States as well as the end users or the consumers. As the web site may be selling drugs that do not fulfill the quality and standard requirements as set by the nations drug agency, namely the FDA. On the other hand there are the consumers, who are putting their health at risk, simply relying on drugs provided at cheaper prices, and for which there may not exist any guarantee at all.
Even though there may web sites which are fully reliable and trustworthy, such as famous supermarket chains including Wal-Mart, the majority however have been found to be misleading both the public as well as the government of the United States.
One may note those selling unapproved drugs whether 'offline', that is at local pharmacies or through Internet web sites is illegal in the country.
Second, there are web sites which only require certain forms to be filled, upon which they deliver the required drugs at the doorstep of their largely innocent buyers, which is also illegal and can play havoc with the lives of unknowing consumers.
Since, these so called 'rogue sites' bypass the standard line of medical supervision and physical evaluation by licensed health professionals, the Internet tends to bypass this safety net, in turn opening avenues for misleading the consumers, as well as putting their lives at risk.
Hence, it is up to the consumers to keep a track on the legitimacy of online pharmacies, as buying drugs online though convenience as well as cheap, yet the same practice from a web site that sells unapproved drugs, or drugs that have not been prescribed by a licensed health professional may put the life of the same consumer in the hands of the people running 'rogue web sites'.
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