When it comes to ordering drugs on the net, consumers are advised to read pharmacy reviews to know which online pharmacy is legitimate or not. Plus, the FDA website is a very useful aid in regulations concerning online pharmacies and generic medicines.

Because of the economic decline, a lot of people nowadays are definitely more mindful when it comes to spending their hard-earned income. Today’s consumers would probably choose more affordable drugs than costly ones and it is easy to discover a local drugstore selling less expensive medications. What’s more, it is a lot easier to find cheaper medicines over the internet through an online generic pharmacy. Pharmacy reviews from buyers will often have useful positive or negative remarks after they buy pills online.

The best option in finding out whether an internet generic pharmacy is reputable is checking out whether their products are approved by the FDA. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the governing body which controls and supervises the promotion and distribution of both brand-name and generic medications. Buyers are reassured that generic medications undergo exactly the same rigorous process the brand-name drugs undergo. Before these generic medications (or brand-name medicines) are sold on the market, they should undergo evaluation from Center for Drug Evaluation and Research or CDER.

Before medication manufacturers could sell their products on the market, they need to first test their own products to see if they are really reliable and safe to use. Next, they have to send to CDER the evidence of the test they have conducted and scientists from the government agency will review the test completed by the medication manufacturer. These scientists may involve chemists, physicians, pharmacologists, and also other health authorities. In case the medication is approved, then it is geared up for sale in the market.

Luckily, consumers themselves may check the FDA’s website to be aware which generic or brand-name drug is authorized by the FDA. The FDA publishes online an index of authorized generic or brand-name drugs and this list is updated regularly.

This list includes the drug’s name and FDA application number, the active ingredients, the approval date, as well as the name of the company which made the medication. The approval type is also published, whether the medication is approved, under tentative approval, or labeling revision.

In October of 2007, the FDA endorsed of labeling revisions regarding well-known erectile dysfunction medications such as Cialis, Viagra, and Levitra. The government agency has required the manufacturers to display the side effect ‘Potential risk of sudden hearing loss’ conspicuously on the label of such drugs. Abilify, Tamiflu, and Adderall are just a number of the medicines that also went through labeling revisions.

The US FDA have warned consumers to purchase only medicines from an online generic pharmacy which requires a prescription and where a pharmacist is available to reply to inquiries from buyers. Consumers must also purchase only from pharmacies which are accredited by the VIPPS or Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites. VIPPS-accreditation makes sure that these online pharmacies comply with the state and federal regulations concerning the sale of medicines. Also, the FDA cautions buyers not to share their credit card numbers to any online drugstore except if they are sure that they are indeed legitimate online pharmacies.

It is fairly easy nowadays to know which online pharmacy is legitimate or not, and which medication (generic or brand-name) is real or counterfeit. Reading through pharmacy reviews is one of the ways to stay away from rogue online pharmacies and bogus medicines. Also, the US FDA site is definitely a handy resource in terms of safeguarding consumers and it would be extremely wise for potential buyers to read their regulations.