Health Canada is reminding Canadians about the potential dangers of buying prescription drugs online, following the July 4th release of the British Columbia Coroner’s report on the death of a woman which was attributed to prescription drugs purchased online.

While legitimate online Canadian businesses are an option to consider, the online purchase of any drug poses the potential for serious health risks, especially when drugs are shipped directly to Canadian consumers from sources outside of Canada. Consumers should be aware that some Internet sites may falsely claim to be Canadian, and consumers can identify if a drug has been shipped to them from a foreign country by checking the shipping information on the exterior of the package.

Buying drugs from an Internet-based business that does not provide a street address and telephone number may pose serious health risks because consumers have no way of knowing where these companies are located, where they get their drugs, what is in their drugs, or how to reach them if there is a problem. Buying drugs on the Internet may also pose financial risks: the product may not be shipped at all, or if it is coming from another country, it could be stopped and refused entry at the border by Canadian authorities.

If you order from these sites, you may get counterfeit drugs that may contain the incorrect dose, the wrong ingredients, dangerous additives, or no active ingredients at all, which could result in potentially serious health risks. Even if these drugs do not harm you directly or immediately, your condition may get worse without effective treatment.

While legitimate Canadian Internet pharmacies are an option to consider, there are serious health risks associated with buying drugs online. Consumers can help protect themselves if they choose to purchase health products via the Internet. They should not do business with a Web site that:

· refuses to give a street address, telephone number, and a way of contacting a pharmacist,

· offers prescription drugs without a prescription,

· offers to issue a prescription based on answers to an on-line questionnaire,

· claims to have a "miracle cure" for any serious condition; or

· sells products that are not authorized for sale by Health Canada.

Drugs and natural health products that are authorized for sale in Canada will have either an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), a Natural Product Number (NPN) or a Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM) on the label. These numbers indicate that the products have been assessed by Health Canada for safety, effectiveness and quality.

Patients should be aware of the name of the drugs they are taking and be familiar with their usual colour, size, shape and any imprints or markings on the drug. If a patient is concerned, they should consult a different health professional than the one who supplied them the drug, such as a doctor or pharmacist.