Prices have gone up - food, clothing, utilities - and the cost of medications have recently followed suit that more and more people have become concerned as to whether or not they will be able to buy the prescription drugs they need. Especially now that medical insurances no longer include medication costs. And in search for cheaper alternatives, people are turning to online drugstores to find the solutions to their expensive prescription medicine problem.

Web-based drugstores offer worlds of benefits, the key points of which is convenience and cost-effectiveness. Thanks to advancements in the Internet technology, purchasing prescription medication need no longer be tedious. You don't even have to leave the comfort of your home to do so. Just turn on your computer, log on to the World Wide Web, search for your desired medication, click on an online pharmacy link, and order. It's that simple. You're just a few clicks away from having your choice of prescription drugs delivered straight to your doorstep. And all these features come at a cost that is a fraction of what people usually pay in a conventional drugstore.

But is it really safe to go for the cheaper alternative?

It is important to keep in mind, though, that not all cheap medicine online drugstores are legal. Although some Internet pharmacies are legal and duly certified bythe government to operate, there are some that are just hoax companies waiting to make a quick buck out of trusting customers looking for discount prescription drugs.

So how can we tell one from the other? Here are some tips:

Check with the authorities. Visit your local state pharmacy board's official website or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) official homepage to see a list of certified and accredited online drugstores who have passed the inspection and quality checks and are allowed to operate and dispense medications to your state. All certified Internet-based drugstores are then included in the list of Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS).

Look for an online drugstore that asks for a valid prescription note. By law, all pharmacies, on land or on the web, are required to ask for a prescription note before dispensing prescription drugs to their customers. For web-based pharmacies that do not ask for prescription notes, make sure that they offer an online consultation service from a licensed doctor using a webcam and voice chat.

Read their privacy policy. It is important that you know how the Internet pharmacy company plans to protect your privacy and security as their customer. Make sure that you thoroughly read and understand their privacy statement and emphasize that they should not use the information you submitted for any other purpose without your permission.

If you do come across a suspicious online drugstore, or have been victimized by one, don't hesitate to report to the authorities immediately. The earlier you file a complaint against these Internet pharmacies, the earlier they get caught and the sooner we can rid the World Wide Web of such opportunists.