# On line pharmacies-legitimate? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 19, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198 "2008-01-19T22:52:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/1 "2008-01-19T22:52:56Z")
My GI doctor prescribed Reglan for heartburn relief and it worked like a charm. Unfortunately, after taking it for several weeks, I developed side effects that forced me to discontinue it. However, my Doc says there’s a drug called Domperidone that works pretty much the same as Reglan, but unlike Reglan it can’t penetrate the blood brain barrier and shouldn’t cause the type of side effects I was experiencing. This drug is approved in Canada, Europe, Italy, Mexico and other countries but not FDA approved in the U.S. because it isn’t deemed safe for breast feeding women. So here’s my question: There’s a bunch of online pharmacies in New Zealandand Mexico, etc. that offer the drug without a prescription and I’m wondering if there’s any way to tell if the these outfits are legitimate? I doubt there is but I figured it can’t hurt to ask. > **[1drugstore-online.com](http://www.1drugstore-online.com/)** > > Prescription Drugs Online,Pharmacy Delivery,Medical Discount Programs,Prescription Plans,Free Prescription Delivery Service,Medicare Mail Order Pharmacy,Best Prescription Discount Card ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/2 "2008-01-19T23:07:59Z")
The BBC did a piece not too long ago where they bought things from various on-line pharmacies. They had spotty results in getting the items they ordered (some times the stuff would never arrive, but they were also never charged for them), but when they got something it was what they ordered. I would be leary of getting anything from a country like Mexico because law enforcement isn’t exactly one of their strong points. Presumably, some place like New Zealand would have a government body regulating such things and you could check with them to see if a particular site was legit. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2008, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/3 "2008-01-19T23:39:00Z")
Probably it’s illegal to purchase this online and have it shipped into the US. Evidently, you can ask your doctor for help, per this [How to obtain domperidone](http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:HYJMURAfDBAJ:www.fda.gov/CDER/news/domperidone.htm+domperidone+fda&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us) link from the FDA. > [@](#): > > FDA encourages physicians who would like to prescribe domperidone for their patients with severe gastrointestinal disorders that are refractory to standard therapy to open an Investigational New Drug Application (IND). An IND is a request for FDA authorization to administer an investigational drug to humans. Such authorization would allow the importation, interstate shipment, and administration of the drug even though it is not approved for sale in the U.S. . ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/4 "2008-01-20T00:03:25Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Probably it’s illegal to purchase this online and have it shipped into the US. [/QUOTE] Not necessarily. One of the results of AIDS activism has been the relaxtion of drug importation restrictions. IIRC, a drug that’s _not_ considered a narcotic _can_ be imported into the US fairly easily. Lots of people into “smart drugs” are able to get their meds this way. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/5 "2008-01-20T00:49:47Z")
[QUOTE=Tuckerfan] Not necessarily. One of the results of AIDS activism has been the relaxtion of drug importation restrictions. IIRC, a drug that’s _not_ considered a narcotic _can_ be imported into the US fairly easily. Lots of people into “smart drugs” are able to get their meds this way. [/QUOTE] Can you offer a cite that it’s legal? ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/6 "2008-01-20T01:15:01Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Can you offer a cite that it’s legal? [/QUOTE] NPR did a piece about a guy who went to Germany to pick up a weight loss med that he couldn’t get here in the States, but I can’t find the story. According to [this site](http://www.afscme.org/issues/1597.cfm), so long as it’s for personal use, the FDA doesn’t care. > [@](#): > > Although health plans cannot import their own drugs, individuals can import drugs because the FDA’s policy is to generally not enforce its importation ban against individuals. [This site has what it claims to be an FDA document discussing the subject.](http://smart-drugs.net/fda.html) > [@](#): > > Because of the desire to acquire articles for treatment of serious and life-threatening conditions like AIDS and cancer, individuals have been purchasing unapproved products from foreign sources. Some of these products are sold over-the-counter in the country of origin, while others are available from clinics where the purchaser was treated. Such products are often shipped to the purchaser by mail. > > Even though such products are subject to refusal, we may use our discretion to examine the background, risk, and purpose of these products before making a final decision. To assure that the districts are operating in a uniform manner, the following guidance is provided for dealing with personal use shipments. ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/7 "2008-01-20T01:26:31Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Can you offer a cite that it’s legal? [/QUOTE] [http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/pipinfo.htm](http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/pipinfo.htm) If you can say it’s needed to treat a serious disease for which no equivalent treatment is available, that you are ordering the stuff for your own use, and that the amount ordered is not over three months’ supply, it isn’t difficult. ---
**Author:** ![Ragiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6de8d8/32.png) [@Ragiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ragiel)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/8 "2008-01-20T01:29:17Z")
[QUOTE=samclem] Can you offer a cite that it’s legal? [/QUOTE] [http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/pipinfo.htm](http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/pipinfo.htm) If you can say the unapproved stuff is needed to treat a serious disease for which no equivalent treatment is available, that you are ordering the stuff for your own use, and that the amount ordered is not over three months’ supply, it isn’t difficult. ---
**Author:** ![diggleblop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/on-line-pharmacies-legitimate/434198/9 "2008-01-20T04:23:19Z")
Online pharmacies are legal. [www.drugbuyers.com](http://www.drugbuyers.com) is a forum with a list of pharmacies that are legit and ones that are black listed.