Personal prescription importation has been used safely by millions of Americans for more than a decade when using certified, trusted, and legitimate Canadian pharmacies. These Americans access licensed Canadian pharmacies who use the Internet to display available medications and then call in, give the pharmacy their valid prescription, and have a conversation about their health and other medications.
Americans have come to trust Canada for safe, affordable medications, in large part because the FDA and its Canadian counterpart, Health Canada, have nearly identical standards when it comes to prescription medications.
However, there are rogue pharmacies and other bad actors on the Internet, which is why it is critical to ensure you are working with a trusted, certified, legitimate pharmacy, and avoid rogue pharmacies.
- Understand the key differences between credentialed pharmacies and rogue pharmacies:
You should never use an online pharmacy that you cannot verify. If you have a question about the validity or legitimacy of an online pharmacy, insert the website address (URL) into the CIPA verification website.
- Verify the pharmacy is legitimate
- Check the website of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) for a multitude of information, including pharmacy verification, patient safety issues, and other news.
- Use CIPA’s resources to verify the website of any pharmacy, confirming its legitimacy as a licensed, retail pharmacy.
- Review CIPA’s list of fraudulent websites. Avoid these websites completely!