Tips for buying medicines online safely

Given that we struggle to understand the reason why people buy medications online, where it's important to have a good relationship with your pharmacist as well as your doctor, and to absolutely avoid do-it-yourself drug treatments, if you really decide to do so, at least take the right precautions to avoid wasting money and your health.

According l 'Italian Medicines Agency: one in four Italians is addressed to Internet for the purchase of their own online drugs, and the pace of expansion does not seem to be slowing down. Thanks to the Costs, lower than traditional pharmacies, the tendency of many consumers to do-it-yourself recipes and a market polluted by  many international sites that sell even outside of any regulation. The danger, in fact, is the absolute lack of controls and the proliferation of illegal offer.

The latest official data on online pharmacies in Italy are from 2024, and speak of 1.486 authorized establishments for the online sale of medicines (SOP and OTC). Of these, approximately 1.109 are pharmacies and 377 parapharmacies..

The illegal market

To be safe, online pharmacies must have an official logo: for example in Italy: a green square with a white cross and a yellow triangle with the wording “Authorized online sales”. On the other hand, the illegal parallel market is very widespread: in a single operation, in 2024, against the illegal online sale of drugs, 286 websites closed who were selling medicines and prohibited substances without authorization. The Carabinieri of the Anti-Adulteration and Health Unit (NAS) seized over 49.900 packages of irregular medicines and medical supplies in 2025 during control activities, which also include illegal online sales, supply chain control and seizures of dangerous products.

Precautions to take

Aside from verifying the authenticity of the online pharmacy through the logo, absolutely avoid sites that:

• • They sell drugs without a prescription when it would normally be needed.
  • They offer prices too low or excessive promotions.
  • They have no physical address or verifiable contact information.

Furthermore:

• Please read the digital leaflet carefully.
• Check the batch number and expiry date.
• Make sure the active ingredient matches your prescription.
• Check that the package has not been tampered with and that the contents correspond to the order.
• Please keep your invoice or electronic receipt for any problems or returns.

Savings with online drug purchases

The last question remains: is it possible to save money by purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) drugs online? Online pharmacies certainly have greater flexibility in their pricing policies and so:

• Some authorized sites offer discounts between 5% and 20% compared to the price in a physical pharmacy.
• Online pharmacies often have promotions for multiple purchases or first registrations.

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