Internet drugstore assessment: checklists and real tips for buying meds online

Buying medicine online can save time and money — but it also brings risks. This page gives a clear, useful checklist to judge an internet drugstore fast, plus the common red flags to watch for. Read this before you click "buy".

Quick 8-point safety checklist

Use this checklist every time you consider a new online pharmacy:

• Visible license and contact: The site should show a pharmacy license number and a real street address. If you can’t find a phone number or email, walk away.
• Prescription requirement: Legit pharmacies ask for a prescription for antibiotics, controlled meds, and many other drugs. No prescription for those is a red flag.
• Secure site and privacy: Look for HTTPS, clear privacy policy, and details on how your data is used.
• Pharmacist access: Good pharmacies let you contact a licensed pharmacist with questions about interactions, dosing, or side effects.
• Clear pricing and shipping: Upfront drug prices, shipping costs, and expected delivery times show transparency.
• Real user reviews and independent checks: Search for reviews outside the site. Cross-check with national regulator lists (NABP in the US, or your country’s authority).
• Payment security: Trusted sites accept credit cards and reputable payment processors, not only wire transfers or crypto.
• Branding and product info: Product images, batch numbers, and detailed leaflets help confirm authenticity.

Common red flags and what to do

If a site shows any of these signs, don’t risk it: prices that look too good to be true, no prescription requirement for controlled drugs, poor grammar and broken pages, or no real contact details. Also be wary of sites operating from countries with weak regulation — they may still ship unsafe or counterfeit drugs.

What to do if you suspect fraud: stop the purchase, contact your doctor or local pharmacist, and report the site to your national regulator. If you already received a package that looks off — odd packaging, missing leaflet, or pills with strange marks — don’t take them. Save photos and package details, then ask a pharmacist to check.

Want examples? We review specific stores and medicines on this site — like RocketRX.com or driadashop.to — to show what a safe site looks like and what fails the checklist. Use those reviews as models when you compare other shops.

Final tip: when unsure, order from well-known, locally regulated pharmacies even if the price is higher. For many drugs, the cost of a mistake is far greater than the savings.