The pandemic COVID-19 situation in Canada was the same in other countries. People couldn’t leave their houses and travel freely. The lockdown also had been implemented in several places. Because of this situation, the online business model in this country has grown significantly, including canada pharmaceutical industry.
The online pharmacy in Canada has reached a new level. It is now one of the most needed services for many patients and those with illness. The high demands for online medication services also stimulate the rapid growth of this industry sector. Thus, it gives birth to many online pharmacies with their different services and features.
Unfortunately, that causes another issue. It is not rare to find someone spending more budget or even getting the wrong medication from an online pharmacy. That doesn’t sound that serious. But, the wrong medication could lead to a fatal result. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a reliable and trusted online pharmacy in Canada. Here, we have several tips on how to choose that kind of pharmacy.
Table of Contents
Check the Store Credentials
The easiest method to determine the reliability of a canada pharmacy is by checking out its credentials. It is also the same with the online pharmacy in this country. You can use the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) list to find more information about the pharmacy you want to use.
You also can visit the online pharmacy website and search whether they have a CIPA seal. The seal shows that the pharmacy has received CIPA certification. That means you also can find that website in the CIPA list.
Choose Online Pharmacy with a Safe Site
This tip works on all websites and online stores. Use the online pharmacy that has a secure site. It means its URL start with “HTTPS://”. This site is safer for transactions, especially if you use a credit card for online payment. You also can see the lock icon next to its URL on the URL bar of the browser you use.
Find the Online Pharmacy that Asks for Prescription for Its Medications
Many medicines are available and can be bought freely through an online pharmacy. However, you also can find the prescribed medicine available in those online pharmacies. You can only buy them by using a prescription from your doctor. And, you can use it as a way to determine the best online pharmacy in Canada you can use.
Additionally, make sure that that prescribed medicine is also covered by canada pharmacare. That means you can save more money to buy prescription medicine. Buying from the online store also gives you an even bigger discount, which is another benefit you can get from using this service.
How can we use the medicine prescription on an online store? Many online pharmacies require you to send the original hard copy of the prescription you received from the doctors. You also may have to send another copy for documentation. Your order for prescribed medicine will be processed once the online pharmacy receives the prescription you sent to them. This is the legal method to sell prescribed medicine to customers.
Check Their Privacy Policy Thoroughly
Also, spend your time reading the online pharmacy privacy policy. Make sure you know each part of the protection that the online pharmacy offers to you. The essential part you should find is private information protection.
In the privacy policy, there should be a point that states private information protection. It means even if you put your information during the transaction, the online pharmacy won’t share and disclose it to other parties. If you find the privacy policy seems unclear and doesn’t mention detailed information about private information protection, you should avoid that place.
Why must canada pharmacy online create a detailed privacy policy? It is regulated in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Therefore, every pharmacy that offers its service on the internet obligated to follow that rule. Otherwise, it is considered the illegal practice of selling medicine. Plus, online pharmacy without proper privacy policy has a high risk of identity theft.
Verify Its Legality
The last method you can use to determine the safety of a canadian pharmacy online is verifying it through several methods, such as:
- Contact the National Association of Pharmaceutical Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) to find out the license of that online pharmacy. The online pharmacy with the license from NAPRA is considered legal to operate.
- Use the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) standard for a legal and safe online pharmacy. You can see it from the end of the online pharmacy URL. The verified online pharmacy will always end with the “.pharmacy”.
- Use the LegitScript.com database to see the reputation of online pharmacies. This site monitors global online pharmacies’ safety. It also shows you if the online pharmacy ever received any law problems. So, you can see its law compliance quality. Through this website, you can find three ranks, which are “rouge”, “unapproved”, and “approved”. For your safety, choose the “approved” one.
Check Out the Review and Customer Testimonials
Lastly, you should check out the reviews and testimonials from customers that have used that online pharmacy service. The internet is the best place where you can find reviews and testimonials. Make sure you only use the review from a reliable review site. Many blogs or websites write positive reviews only, which is far from objective opinion and experience. So, find one that can give you that objective review for the online pharmacy you want to use.
Or, you also can ask your friends or family with experience in using the mentioned online pharmacy. They are the best and most trusted source. Once you read all reviews and ask for an opinion from your close people, you can choose the online pharmacy to buy the medicine.
Conclusion
The online pharmacy helps many Canadians recover and deal with various health problems when they couldn’t move around that much. It helps those who need medicine fast. Now, are you ready to choose the canada pharm?
dr. Puan Maryama
