If you're considering using an online pharmacy but want to sure you're dealing with real pharmacists, a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) seal may help you decide. The seal, issued by the National Association of Pharmacy Boards, indicates that the Web pharmacies agree to an inspection by the association and can show that its pharmacists maintain the appropriate state licenses.
To date, five sites have earned the seal: http://www.cvs.com, http://www.drugstore.com, http://www.familymeds.com, http://www.merck-medco.com and http://www.planetRx.com.
Still, Jan Engle, a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Illinois-Chicago and part of the team that designed the VIPPS program, advises caution about buying drugs online. "Avoid any site that doesn't provide a phone number or address," she says.
She also advises filling the first prescription for a drug at a local pharmacy, so that you can be monitored for side effects, drug interactions or other complications.
Lasik researcher is guest
at online chat session
If you're curious about Lasik surgery to correct vision problems, you can join an online discussion with one of the doctors who developed the procedure. Dr. Michael Sher, a Twin Cities ophthalmic surgeon and researcher, will answer questions during a free chat session from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday.
Sher, a partner at Eye Care Associates in Minneapolis, participated in clinical trials for using excimer lasers to correct distorted corneas. He is a clinical professor of ophthalmology at the University of Minnesota.
To join the discussion, go to http://www.medformation.com and click on "LASIK Vision Correction Surgery Chat." Medformation is a service provided by Allina Hospitals and Clinics.
- From staff reports.
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