The Better Business Bureau of the Northwest is urging EpiPen consumers to not purchase the medication online, or use great caution when doing so, even if the price is significantly lower.
Although the price of the medication has increased greatly in recent weeks, the validation of quality cannot be determined if it’s bought online. BBB’s Alaska Marketplace Manager, Michelle Tabler…
Tabler: “If it’s a well-known, online pharmacy, then it’s probably fine but just going on to Craigslist or Ebay, although I’ve heard Ebay has taken them down, it’s not a good idea. You need a prescription for it. You need a specific dosage for each person, which only a doctor can order, and if you’re ordering from an unknown source online, it may not be what it says it is, it might be expired, you don’t know what’s really in it if you’re not using a legitimate pharmacy.”
If an Epipen has already been purchased from an online source that’s not a credible pharmacy, don’t use it.
Tabler: “If they’ve received it from an unknown pharmacy or just an online company that’s not really a legitimate pharmacy, get rid of it. You just don’t know what the ingredients really are, you don’t know about the expiration date, it’s just not a good idea.”
Dr. Jeffrey Demain, Director of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska at Providence Hospital suggests EpiPen users check online at goodRx. This website will quote the medication from different pharmacies in the area.
