Tips for online health product shoppers

FDA Consumer, Nov-Dec, 2001 by John Henkel

Buying medical products online has many advantages. It's quick, private, convenient, and it might even save money. But beware of "rogue sites" that either sidestep or ignore established procedures designed to protect consumers. These sites can look very professional and appear to be legitimate but may sell products that could cause dangerous drug interactions or harm from contaminated, counterfeit or outdated materials.

How can consumers recognize these sites? What makes a site "legitimate," and how can users know that advertised products are safe? The FDA has put together a group of Web pages that answer these questions and give users a crash course in buying medical products online.

Most recently, the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health created two sites: one (www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/buycontactqa.html) offers advice on buying contact lenses online (or by phone or mail); the other (www.fda.gov/cdrh/consumer/buyingmeddevonline.html) is a primer on buying all types of medical devices online. Also on the FDA Web site is a special page (www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline) that gives many tips for buying prescription medicines and other health-related products online. This site has links to sources within and outside the FDA that have important information for online shoppers, including the Federal Trade Commission, the National Consumers League, and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, which certifies sites by holding them to rigorous standards.