Buying prescription drugs online can be done safely if you do some research first.

Men from around the world buy Viagra online every day. In fact today, more than 45 tons of Viagra are consumed every year.

However, due to the immense popularity and profitability of Viagra, counterfeit versions are common enough that anyone planning to buy Viagra online should be careful to check out exactly who they are buying from.

Why Do People Buy Prescription Drugs Online?

Buying prescription drugs online is extremely convenient. You don’t have to worry about pharmacy hours, and you can take care of the transaction right in your own home. What’s more, the order is delivered to you, for the ultimate in convenience. When it comes to drugs for erectile dysfunction (ED) like Viagra, the temptation to buy the drug online is even higher for several reasons.

For one thing, it’s not easy for a lot of men to speak with their family physician about ED. Viagra is considered a “lifestyle” drug, and many men are uncomfortable admitting that they could use help with their sex lives. And making a trip to a local pharmacy to have the prescription filled feels like an open invitation for running into a poker buddy, kid’s soccer coach, or pastor.

Is It Legal to Get Prescription Drugs Online in the U.S.?

Mail order pharmacies have been around for decades, and many of them moved online when internet access became widely available. Buying prescription medications online in the U.S. requires a valid physician’s prescription. If you have one, you can order medications online through a safe facilitator such as AccessRx.com. Some online pharmacies accept faxes, and others have U.S. licensed physicians contracted who can legally write a prescription that the online pharmacy can fill. If you see a website that offers Viagra or other ED drugs online without a prescription, stay away. For legal reasons, you need a prescription, and these sites are almost certainly offering counterfeit drugs.

Dangers of Not Researching Sites Selling Viagra

Chances are, you have already done a search engine query for “Viagra online” and have found millions and millions of search results from every part of the globe. Is AccessRx legit? Of course it is and since 1998 over 500,000 satisfied customers love us! Many of these other sites don’t even make an effort to appear legitimate, because they don’t have to. Enough men will type in their credit card details to make it profitable, and if the site eventually gets shut down, it’s no trouble to make a brand new site just like it.

If you don’t research your online source for ED drugs, you take several risks. For one thing, many sites are riddled with malware that can give your computer a nasty virus. For another, some sites simply take advantage of eager customers by absconding with their credit card details, which can be sold for a profit to identity thieves.

Ironically, your computer could catch a virus when you visit some “health” sites.

And if you do find a site that takes your information and sends you a product, there’s a good chance that what you get won’t actually be Viagra. Even Customs and DEA agents have trouble telling real Viagra from fake based on appearance alone. Usually they’re tipped off by the way the product enters the country: in giant bags, or hidden inside other imported items.

Red Flags to Watch for When Ordering Viagra Online

Some search engines are good about giving you warnings right on the results page when a website appears to be compromised. Look for this warning and stay away from sites that are flagged. Another red flag is a website that is written in broken English or that only contains random strings of words that have nothing to do with ED or ED drugs. If a site offers Viagra for an unusually low price, you can be certain it isn’t the real thing.

Ads for “generic” Viagra are rife too. As of mid-2012, there is no such thing as generic Viagra due to Pfizer holding onto its patent for selling Viagra as a treatment for ED. Save your money and stay away from these sites.

Questions to Answer Before You Click “Place Order”

If you find what you believe to be a genuine website selling actual Viagra, get answers to some questions before typing in your information and clicking on “Place Order”:

• Does the establishment have an actual street address? A P.O. Box is not good enough.
• Is there a U.S. phone number you can call?
• What happens when you call? Do you get a prompt, professional answer, or someone saying “Hello” in halting English?
• Does the site employ U.S.-licensed physicians and pharmacists?
• How long has the site been in business? If it doesn’t say in the “About Us” section, call and ask.
• What is the site’s security policy in regards to your personal, health, and credit card information?

A website that has an actual street address (which you can check using Google Maps or a similar site) and a phone number that is answered by a professional-sounding person is a good start. Sites should employ U.S.-licensed physicians and pharmacists, and if a site has been around for a long time, that’s a good sign as well. Don’t settle for less.

What About Buying from Overseas Pharmacies?

This practice is highly restricted. For example, people who want to legally purchase medications from Canada have to show that the drug is for a condition for which the U.S. does not have an FDA-approved drug. They must also show that the product does not present excess risk and must affirm in writing that it’s for individual use and provide contact information for a U.S. physician responsible for treatment. Buying a drug from another country for ED can get you into serious trouble if the product is intercepted by Customs. People do get drugs this way without getting caught, but are you really willing to take that risk when you can buy products safely from legitimate U.S. sources? AccessRx.com wrote about the Dangers of buying medications online from Canadian pharmacies and published on Prweb.com

Purchasing ED meds online can be done safely and legally with qualified U.S. online facilitators.

The truth is that you can order ED drugs online from legitimate online facilitators where health information is securely collected and submitted to a physician for review. If the physician concludes that the drug you are interested in is appropriate for you, they can refer you to a clinic to have a prescription written, and then the medication will be fulfilled by a U.S. licensed pharmacist. The product is then shipped to you discreetly and quickly, using trusted couriers like FedEx and the U.S. Postal Service.

If you are interested in purchasing ED medications like Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis, check out the online facilitator AccessRx.com. AccessRx.com has been around since 1998, and contracts with pharmacists and physicians who are licensed in the U.S.A, and has a real business location in Tempe Arizona. AccessRx.com has safely dispensed ED treatments to thousands of satisfied customers since 1998.

Photo credits: e-MagineArt.com, Taber Andrew Bain, The Italian Voice