Q. You warn against buying drugs abroad because they may not be approved by the FDA. Are drugs that are sold in Canada not inspected by the Canadian equivalent of the FDA before they can be sold?—Robert Staebell, Bowmansville, NY
A. Canadian pharmacies that ship prescription medication to the U.S. aren’t subject to Canadian regulatory authority, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. And the Food and Drug Administration doesn’t have authority over foreign medications and cannot help consumers if they have problems with medication ordered from outside U.S. regulation and oversight.
Moreover, some websites that appear to be Canadian actually operate from elsewhere in the world, and the FDA cannot ensure the safety and effectiveness of products that come from unknown sources and may not have been manufactured under proper conditions.
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