Prices of prescription medicines in the United States have gone nowhere but up. This has brought a big impact on health insurance, changing its coverage so that it no longer includes medication expenses of the people insured. Naturally, it affects senior citizens and people with conditions sustained by prescription drugs.

Just like a gift from the heavens, Internet pharmacies start popping up with offers of prescription medications at discounted prices. Not just that, most online drugstores deliver the ordered medications at no extra cost. Buying medications online is very easy. Just log on to the online drugstore website, fill out their medical questionnaire, click on the prescription you need, supply them with your credit card number to pay for your order, and voila - your order is processed and you can expect a delivery within a couple of days. Convenience, cheap prices, and free delivery - now who wouldn't be tempted by an offer like that?

But is buying US prescription medicine online really a good idea?

Take the case of a nineteen year old teenager who died of Xanax overdose. The drug which was later confirmed to have come from an Internet drugstore was traced back to Mexico. Buying prescription drugs on the web is so easy nowadays that even teenagers who have no need of it can purchase it. They just need to know what kind of drug they want and search it on the Internet, and sure enough they will come up with hundreds of different links directing them to online drugstores. With just a few clicks of the mouse button, your teenager can have himself a bottle of prescription medications without your knowledge.

There have also been other cases reported of people dying from medical complications brought about by hidden toxic components found in the counterfeit prescription drugs she received from an Internet pharmacy. These toxic components appeared to have been used as fillers to compensate for the key ingredients needed for the medicine.

Here are some more things to be aware of when buying medications over the Internet:

By law, it is illegal to sell or purchase prescription medications from any pharmacy, web-based or otherwise, without a legitimate doctor's prescription.

Also, it is illegal to purchase controlled substances foreign online pharmacies. This is for the sole reason that you do not have a clear idea of how and where the drugs are made, nor do you have an idea if the company itself is legitimate or not.

Submitting information to an unknown Internet pharmacy's medical questionnaires may submit you to identity theft. Your personal information may be used by the anomalous company's owner to assume your identity and make transactions in your behalf. Also, your credit card information may be used to make large purchases without your permission.

Keep in mind that illegal Internet drugstores may hind behind a mask of safety and legitimacy, showing you images of people posing as licensed pharmacists or physicians. So you have to be wise in choosing which Internet drugstore sites to trust. Visit the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) website to see a list of accredited Internet pharmacies that you can buy from.