Using Online Medicine  

Online medicine is a term that came about during the 2000s when medical practitioners began to deliver healthcare information, advice and even drug prescriptions over the internet. Medical journals were made available to the layman and descriptions of symptoms and diseases are all over the net. Practitioners claim that better information equals better health. At the same time, more information can produce panicked people.

Online medical advice will bring significant educational benefits to patients and physicians, but there is an ethical challenge. Maintaining trust in the medical profession and in relationships between patients and physician requires that information is constantly updated and patient-physician relationship be confidential and professional. Remember that electronic communication cannot replace face-to-face exams and diagnosis.

You can buy prescription drugs from the Internet and it is very easy, but knowing if your source is safe is not stress-free. People are turning to the Internet for cheaper drugs, but medications purchased from the Internet may come with the risk of harming you and your family. There are rogue web sites all over the Net selling counterfeit, contaminated and unsafe drugs.

Self-diagnosis by using online medicine sites and then trying to fill medications that you believe will “fix” your problems can be very dangerous. There are legislative protections being passed through Congress but until the prescription industry and physicians come together these safeguards will not work. Knowing which Web sites are safe and which ones are not is confusing and a challenge. To keep your family and yourself safe, always discuss your questions with a physician. Let them prescribe the proper medications and diagnoses.