Regulators are struggling to find an effective means of controlling the activity of online drugstores and the customers they serve. This is becoming particularly difficult as the number of Internet pharmacies grows, and the number of consumers wanting to purchase their prescription medication online increases.

Ideally control of this activity would be achieved through regulation of the activity of both the overseas pharmacies and those who use them. The problem with this approach is that the overseas pharmacies are, by definition, outside of the national boundaries of the customers they serve. This means that they are also beyond the jurisdiction of regulators in the customers' country! As health authorities are unable control the activity of offshore but online drugstores, they are forced to focus on control of their customers.

Each country has its own regulations covering the personal importation of drugs purchased from overseas pharmacies. While these regulations were not usually developed to cover Internet purchases from online drugstores, there is a universal desire by governments to give consumers drug price relief, and so most countries allow importation of a small amount of needed medicines. The USA is the world's highest price pharmaceutical market and lawmakers there have tried on a number of occasions to introduce legislation that would specifically provide for the importation of prescription medication from online overseas pharmacies.  [..more]

The right to buy a prescription medication is determined by the laws and regulations of the country in which the product is being sold (i.e. the location of the overseas pharmacies). If it is legal for the overseas pharmacies to sell a product on the Internet, then you are perfectly entitled to buy it. However, your right to receive and/or use the product is determined by the laws and regulations in your local jurisdiction (your country).

This simple guide can be complicated when online drugstores sell drugs that do not require a prescription in their own country but do in the customer's country. Or when the situation is reversed and no prescription is required in the customer's country yet one is required in the supplier's country. Confused ?? That's not surprising!

We recommend customers do not concern themselves about the law in the supplier's country. That is the online drugstores concern. Customers should however be familiar with what their own country's laws and regulations permit. As advised earlier, most countries regulations do allow individuals to import prescription medication for personal use . Typically this is considered to be a quantity appropriate for 3 months normal use. If the product you are ordering is a prescription medicine in your country, you should complete the Personal Declaration form provided during the ordering process.

The Growth of Online Drugstores

In a world where the cost of the same prescription medication can vary enormously between countries, there is increasing pressure being put on politicians to legislate to assist individuals who wish to purchase prescription medication online. Consumers see no reason why they should be paying so much more for the same drug than citizens of neighbouring countries. Particularly when ordering prescription medication online at a significant discount is easier than ever due to growth in the number of overseas pharmacies now operating on the Internet.  [..more]

The Discount Prescription Drugs Online system gives customers access to overseas pharmacies, allowing them to buy their prescription medication from lower priced international pharmaceutical markets … and save! For more information about our catalogue of products, packs and prices click here.

FDA's general position: The FDA, due to the current state of their regulations, has taken the position that virtually all shipments of prescription drugs imported from a pharmacy outside the U.S.A. by a U.S. consumer will violate the law.