With the fast-growing popularity of the Internet, more and more sites are offering to sell you drugs and other medical products. How can you know which sites are legitimate? According to the federal Food and Drug Administration, here are some of the dangers to watch out for:

• Purchasing a medicine from an illegal Website is risky; you may receive a contaminated or counterfeit product, the wrong product, the wrong dosage, or no product at all.

• Taking an unsafe or inappropriate medication puts you at risk for dangerous drug interactions and other serious health consequences.

• Getting a prescription drug by filling out a questionnaire without seeing a doctor poses serious health risks. This is generally considered to be substandard medical care.

Next week we'll give you some tips to guide your online purchases.

Related information Medications

Source: FDA. Buying medicines and medical products online: tips and warnings for consumers. Feb. 15, 2001.