The Internet is a great place to shop for some things-- appliances, flowers, and software. But, it's mighty risky to buy drugs this way, unless you know you're dealing with a reputable on-line retailer.

Buying drugs is not the same as buying a toaster. If that toaster doesn't work, your day may be ruined, but life goes on. If the medicine you buy online is bogus, it could hurt you.

In the past year or so, I've seen numerous cases of fake medical products being sold online.

I've seen counterfeit contraceptives that couldn't possibly prevent pregnancy, bogus prescription drugs and in-home HIV test kits that are totally worthless.

I don't know about you, but my computer's in-bin is filled with spam pitching Viagra or Viagra-like alternatives. Most boast-NO PRESCRIPTION NEEDED!!!!

Let's me be perfectly frank. You have to be crazy to buy a prescription drug this way, especially one that's supposed to raise your blood pressure?

I don't care what the price is--you don't buy medications from an unknown company that sends you an e-mail, period! And here's the proof!

A recent British study found that as many as half of all the Viagra sold online could be counterfeit.

Scientists bought the little blue pills on the web and found that some had less of the active ingredient than the real Viagra, some of them had different ingredients.

All the fake Viagra came in packages that were similar to the real thing.

Just to make it clear, there are reputable pharmacies on the web, big name companies you know and trust.

If you want fill your prescription over the Internet at bartelldrugs.com or Walgreens.com, that's fine. You know they're legit and they always require a prescription to get prescription medications. Just skip the unknown sites.

One thing to look for when shopping at an online pharmacy is the VIPPS seal. It shows that this cyber-drugstore meets the standards of the National Association of Board of Pharmacy.

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