Avoid buying health products from questionable websites and verify that the pharmacy is legitimate.
Look for health products that have been authorized by Health Canada. Authorized health products have an eight-digit Drug Identification Number (DIN), Natural Product Number (NPN) or Homeopathic Medicine Number (DIN-HM). Consumers can also check whether products have been authorized for sale by searching Health Canada’s Drug Product Database, Licensed Natural Health Product Database or Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL).
You can also check Health Canada’s Recall and Safety Alerts Database for advisories on illegal health products that have been found in Canada.
A further source of reliable guidance on safe online pharmacies is the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP) which is active in numerous jurisdictions internationally, including Canada.
Health Canada and the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA) also offers guidance to help consumers choose a safe online pharmacy.
All pharmacies accredited by the Ontario College of Pharmacists (College) are “bricks and mortar” pharmacies within the province. These pharmacies may sell medications over the internet according to the College’s policy on Operating Internet Sites. This policy requires the pharmacy’s website to have its accreditation (license) number and the name of the Designated Manager so it can be verified on the College’s public register.
No. Ontario pharmacies can only dispense prescriptions authorized or signed by a prescriber licensed in a Canadian province or territory.
The rules for operating an online pharmacy may vary in other provinces or territories. We encourage you to contact the local pharmacy regulatory authority directly for verification.
Pharmacy websites in the United States are reviewed and verified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy through its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (VIPPS™) program. Please visit their website for more information.
