You can buy everything on the internet, even your medicines. This is a small health revolution that has many benefits. We will explain everything to you. The law stipulates that any pharmacist can sell medicines without a prescription on the internet. No more waiting or long car journeys if you do not have a pharmacy nearby. It is convenient that online sale of drugs is also economical. The price of non-prescription drugs can go from one to three times from one pharmacy to another. It all depends on the price set by the pharmacist. On the Internet, the prices offered by online pharmacies are often more attractive. To facilitate research, there are even price comparison platforms to help users find their medicines at the best price.
E-pharmacy: Discreet Purchases
Calm fever, relieve dental pain or buy baby equipment… Online, anything is possible, as long as the product is in direct access. According to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (Napra), 5000 products can be used without the accord of a doctor for a diagnosis, initiation or monitoring of a treatment. What is more, ordering your medicines on the Internet ensures real discretion. There are no eavesdroppers to listen to your interactions with a pharmacist. You are no longer uncomfortable when it comes to ordering certain products. Incognito is the only watchword. Thus, your privacy is preserved. One problem: the delivery time, which generally ranges from 24 to 72 hours. For an emergency, it is therefore best to go to the nearest pharmacy. Buying drugs online represents a significant convenience and savings. However, you must first ensure the authenticity of the website on which you wish to place the order.
Prescription Scan Apps Overview
Many online pharmacies in Canada launch special services which customers can use to download their prescriptions just in a couple of clicks. With these new prescription scans pharmacies are strengthening their digital service offer and reaffirming their ambition to be the referent online. Scan prescription offers a full range of services. The principle is simple: via the application, a user photographs his prescription and sends it via a secure direct messaging system, to the pharmacist of his choice who prepares the prescription and notifies a patient of the availability of his medicines.
In order to support the issues around compliance, the application also offers a pill box functionality. It also includes a list of useful emergency and special numbers. Finally, it offers access to the responsive site for additional purchases and non-prescription drugs in drugstores. The objective of the application is to offer a significant online territorial network in order to meet the challenges of proximity and digitalization of patient usage.
Using the Scan & Collect principle, the application simplifies order preparation, saving time for patients and Canadian pharmacists. Geolocation also allows pharmacists to expand their catchment area and therefore constitutes a new lever for the development of their activity. At the end of this first launch phase, online pharmacies will enter into a communication campaign aimed at developing and promoting the application to Canadian patients.
The launch of this mobile application confirms ambition to be the benchmark for online pharmacies, by reproducing the territorial network on digital media. This service enriches the range of solutions to pharmacists wishing to respond to the new uses of their patients, between the e-commerce offer, the showcase site offer and soon the Click & Collect only offer. Wishing to ensure proximity, security and shopping comfort for Canadian patients, this application for ordering prescription meds is a turnkey solution for pharmacists wishing to open an online pharmacy.
Is Online Prescription Reimbursed?
Online consultations are reimbursable, in the same way as conventional consultations. However, the reimbursement terms depend on the patient’s situation. The consultation is reimbursable in two cases:
- The first, the patient is taken care of by his attending physician, whom he will have seen in face-to-face consultation in the last 12 months.
- The second, a patient is taken care of by a doctor belonging to a territorial organization close to a patient.
Their reimbursement and that of the consultation are then the same as for a consultation in an office: the part of the insurance is taken care of, you only pay the additional part, which can be reimbursed by your insurance company. Also, the digital prescription that will be issued to you after a teleconsultation will be reimbursed as a classic prescription.
However, it should also be noted that the prescription (whether electronic or in paper format) has a limited period of validity. Generally, the delivery of drugs can only be done within three months. On the other hand, electronic prescriptions for medical procedures have their own period of validity.
Also, if the prescription date is exceeded, it will not be possible to benefit from a reimbursement, or even from the delivery of the drugs. In this case, a new consultation is necessary in order to obtain a new prescription.
Is Online Prescription Secure?
As we mentioned earlier, online Canadian pharmacies provides maximum access to prescriptions online. A unique code, known only to yourself, will allow you to retrieve this document. On the other hand, your prescription corresponds to a URL, which is also unique, which may be accessible by the pharmacist. You just have to send it by email or fax.
It is also necessary to specify that consultation on the Internet is highly secure. Indeed, thanks to encrypted data and in https format, the confidentiality of the appointment with the doctor is ensured. Finally, My Canadian Pharmacy comments that any medical professional, whether he practices in a practice or on a telemedicine application, must respect medical and professional secrecy. Also, making a prescription online is a reliable and safe practice, a document that is only accessible by you or the pharmacist you have chosen.
Please also note that your personal data, as well as the conversation that took place with your online doctor, are only accessible to the healthcare professionals, and only with your consent.
Can a Pharmacist Refuse an Electronic Prescription?
A pharmacist can refuse to take charge of an electrical prescription if:
- Not all legal notices are indicated on the document.
- The signature of the doctor responsible for the prescription is missing.
- The validity of the prescription has expired.
- Regulatory obligations related to prescribed products are not met.
In all other cases, a pharmacist has no right to refuse a digital prescription. Also, you will be treated in the same way as a patient who has obtained a prescription for medication, following a consultation in a practice.
Is It Possible to Renew a Prescription via Teleconsultation?
Indeed, it is entirely possible to make an appointment online with a doctor and to obtain a prescription refill. It is however preferable to consult a doctor at the origin of the preceding prescription, in order to profit from an adapted follow-up. On the other hand, as we mentioned above, it is not possible to renew a sick leave via Internet consultation. For this, it will be necessary to opt for a physical consultation.
How Long Is an Electronic Prescription Valid?
The period of validity of an electrical prescription is similar to the period of validity of a paper prescription. As previously mentioned, this period is generally three months, but may be shorter for certain types of prescriptions.
Does Teleconsultation Prescribe Medical Examinations?
Teleconsultation via the Internet takes place in the same way as a conventional consultation, within a cabinet. Also, a doctor who will take care of you via the application is able to carry out all types of prescriptions, including those aimed at realizing medical examinations. For example, it is entirely possible to be prescribed a consultation with a specialist, an X-ray or even a blood test, as we will see.
Again, mail for the attention of a medical specialist or an analysis laboratory will be paid for in the same way as a paper prescription. This is moreover governed by the same rules and obligations as a prescription for medicines and must include the same legal notices.
Can We Order a Blood Test during a Teleconsultation?
A blood test can be prescribed by a doctor, via teleconsultation. When you receive a prescription for laboratory analyzes (to perform X-rays in an imaging center or to consult a specialist doctor), the methods of retrieving the document are the same as for a conventional digital prescription: the different retrieval methods will be detailed in the email you will receive, at the end of your appointment. You can print it using a code, send it by email or fax it to the laboratory of your choice.
When the examinations have been carried out and once the results have been collected, it is entirely possible to make an appointment for a second consultation. In all cases, the application is able to inform you of the receipt of the results, by means of an email which will be sent to the application’s inbox. All information regarding a possible appointment will be detailed in the message.
What is called ‘laboratory results monitoring’ should preferably be done by the same practitioner who prescribed the prescription. On the other hand, it should also be noted that the price of this consultation is the same as the cost inherent in a conventional teleconsultation.
The results of your analyses will therefore be closely studied by your doctor via an online consultation. He can then offer you a prescription, if he thinks it is appropriate. However, in light of this information, the healthcare professional may also recommend that you consult a specialist or your treating physician, if the problem which concerns you does not fall within his / her areas of competence.
Indeed, medical staff are empowered to treat the most frequent cases such as fever, headache, rashes or abdominal pain, and not the most complex. A prescription to another doctor will be offered to you, as well as a report of the online consultation to be provided, if you give your consent.
Does Teleconsultation Allow a Doctor to Study X-rays?
Teleconsultation is possible, thanks to a smartphone or tablet equipped with a camera or webcam. Therefore, it is possible to film an x-ray during the consultation, so that a doctor can study it. However, other features are allowed, including the addition of attachments. You just need to take a picture of the said x-ray and send it to the practitioner. However, if a doctor considers that the quality of the photo or video is poor and does not allow him to analyze the radio correctly, he may also recommend that you consult a physical office.
Teleconsultation service has carried out over 1 million video consultations over the past 4 years, thanks to the 700 doctors who practice online. So, if you have questions relating to a health problem or need an accurate diagnosis, join the 90% of patients satisfied by the services.
Beware of Fake Medicines on the Internet
It is risky to buy drugs on the Internet. The World Health Organization (Who.int) reveals that half of the drugs sold on the Internet are fake drugs. Buying drugs online has many benefits, but how can you be sure you do not come across counterfeits? First of all, check if the online pharmacy where you buy is authorized by clicking on its logo. You can be sure that the source of the medicines is checked. In Canada, 457 online pharmacies are recognized by the Canadian Forces Pharmacy Services and registered with the regional health agencies. Useful functionality: you can consult the leaflets for medicines online if you wish, thus ensuring that you do not go wrong with a product. Certain signs do not deceive. Fraudulent sites are overflowing with spelling mistakes. Also, displaying prices that are too low should not inspire confidence.
Fake medicines can be dangerous for our health for 2 reasons:
- either they are ineffective, because they do not contain the active ingredient necessary to produce the therapeutic effect;
- or they contain excipients dangerous to our health.
3 Steps to Buy Safely
Before buying medicines online, make sure that their logo is present on the website. Check if the seller is on the list of sellers approved for the sale of medicines online before buying your medicines on the Internet. Online, one can find pharmacies not authorized to sell medicines online. In this case, they may offer unregulated medicines which can be dangerous for your health.
Disclaimer
Our website contains materials dedicated to pharmaceutical product descriptions, general guidelines and recommendations fixed in the manufacturer inserts; none of those are intended to be used in lieu of an actual physical examination at a doctor’s office. Follow prescriber’s instruction at all times. All mentioned brand names belong to their respective copyright owners. We are not endorsed to promote any products and are not receiving any incentives to popularize any pharmaceutical drugs or therapies. Responsible use of the information is required on the part of user.