How to Buy
PDE5 inhibitors must be prescribed by a doctor. The doctor will:
- determine the likely cause of your erectile dysfunction
- make sure that the medication will not impact pre-existing medical conditions (if any)
- make sure that the medication will not have negative interactions with other drugs you may be taking
- recommend the best medication or your needs
Once your doctor has written a prescription, it can be filled at any pharmacy.
Be sure to compare prices! The cost of the same prescription drug can vary a lot at different pharmacies, even within the same town. You can usually find the best price by getting a coupon from GoodRX.com, which you can use at your local pharmacy.
How to Find a Safe Online Pharmacy
Prescriptions may also be submitted to an online pharmacy, which may offer better prices. However, there are many fraudulent pharmacies online, which may sell counterfeit drugs. According to the FDA, 97% of online pharmacies reviewed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy are not in compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws and practice standards1.
Many people in the United States now buy prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies. But bear in mind that many pharmacies claiming to be in Canada are not!
Avoiding Unsafe or Fraudulent Pharmacies
Check for logos indicating accreditation by LegitScript, Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS), Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC), or URAC. Click the logos to make sure they are actually linked to accreditation, and not just copied and pasted on a fraudulent website.- Check official government registries to see in the pharmacy is listed.
- In the United States, check the FDA BeSafe registry.
- In Canada, check the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.
- In the United Kingdom, check the MHRA Registry.
- Avoid pharmacies that do not require a prescription!
- Check the website to be sure they list an actual street address somewhere on the website.
- Do not order from pharmacies outside of your own country. Pharmacies that ship across international borders know that you have very little legal recourse if you have problems.
- Do not deal with pharmacies if their prices seem too good to be true.
- Do not deal with pharmacies that do not have a licensed pharmacist available to answer your questions, either by phone or online.
For the Tech-Savvy
Find out where an online pharmacy is really located!
You can find the IP address of a website by using a service such as https://mxtoolbox.com/DNSLookup.aspx
Then, find the location of the server by using a service like https://www.iplocation.net/
You will find that many supposed US or Canadian pharmacies are actually in eastern Europe or Asia!
Related Reading
- Oral Medications for Erectile Dysfunction: Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra Compared
- Why You Should Not Use Amazon Pharmacy
References
- How to Buy Medicines Safely From an Online Pharmacy: https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048396.htm