Is It Safe To Order Blood Pressure Medication Online?
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Unchecked blood pressure can be a real hazard as you age. For one thing, the older you get, the more likely it is for your blood pressure to naturally rise. Another problem is that it’s hard to tell if you actually have high blood pressure because it’s often symptomless. You might be exacerbating your condition for years and never know, until it’s too late.
As a condition, high blood pressure is both common and particularly worrying, as it increases your chances of hazardous health issues such as heart disease, strokes or vascular dementia. If you’re over 40, it’s recommended that you get your blood pressure checked by a doctor every few years. It’s an easy and straightforward procedure that could really save your health later down the line.
So if you need to get treated for high blood pressure, what’s the best way to go about it? These days, a lot of people are using the internet to organise their treatment and order their prescriptions. This might seem helpful on the surface, but are these online services actually safe to use for your medication?
Let’s take a closer look at the treatment options and find out whether ordering blood pressure medication online is a safe option for your health.
Can High Blood Pressure Be Treated?
The good news is that high blood pressure, or hypertension, can be effectively treated. As we’ve mentioned, you’ll need to undergo a test to check how high your blood pressure is. Once the results are in, your doctor should be able to create a treatment plan that keeps your blood pressure stable or reduces it. This plan should be tailored according to your individual needs, and will typically include lifestyle changes – such as reducing sodium in the diet or a regular exercise schedule – and is sometimes combined with prescription medication.
Blood pressure medication will usually be taken in tablet or capsule form, and tends to work by widening or relaxing the blood vessels in order to improve blood flow throughout the body.
Medically, these treatments are often known as ACE (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme) inhibitors, or calcium channel blockers.
What Blood Pressure Medications Are Available For Prescription?
Nowadays, there are a wide variety of blood pressure medications available to us. Ramipril Capsules are a common option – they’re often prescribed to those with hypertension or for people who have suffered a heart attack.
Ramipril works by inhibiting a particular enzyme, one that controls hormones related to blood pressure. By inhibiting this enzyme, Ramipril widens the blood vessels and therefore makes it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body effectively. Due to these reasons, Ramipril is
an effective medicine for preventing rising blood pressure as well as future strokes, heart attacks and kidney problems.
However, Ramipril isn’t the only blood pressure medication around. There are a range of medicines that are prescribed for blood pressure, including (but not limited to):
- Perindopril Tablets
- Losartan Tablets
- Lercanidipine Tablets
- Verapamil Hydrochloride Tablets
… any many more!
Of course, every blood pressure medication will have its own precautions that will need to be followed, taking into account side effects, combinations with other medications, and if they’re suitable to take for people with certain pre-existing health conditions. As always, you’ll need to consult with your doctor or pharmacist when it comes to these medications, and make sure to take them exactly as prescribed.
Is It Safe To Order Medication Online?
Healthcare services have, like everything else these days, digitised. Widespread access to the internet and advances in technology have made it increasingly convenient to organise your treatment online – for example, by using a GP surgery website or app to book an appointment.
But what about ordering medication online? That’s also a service that is being offered by a number of pharmacies. Most high street pharmacies will have a website or an app you can access that allows you to request or renew your prescription. However, there are other pharmacies that do all of their business online, and actually deliver the medication to your front door instead of making you pick it up at a brick-and-mortar store. Likewise, these websites will require you to have an existing prescription to the medication you ordered.
Is it actually safe to order medication online? The answer is: yes, but it depends where you order from!
You’ll want to stick to registered pharmacies that only prescribe UK licensed medication. How can you tell if a website is legitimate? Well, there are a couple of things you should always be looking for when ordering medication online: A Distance Selling logo and a Registered Pharmacy registration number.
Every registered online pharmacy will be approved by the MHRA (Medicine and Healthcare Product Regulatory Agency) as a legal retailer of medicine. If they are approved, their website will demonstrate this stamp of approval by showing a Distance Selling logo. There are plenty of examples of what this looks like online.
Likewise, the pharmacy will have their own unique number that can be checked through the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) database. They’ll display this number, known as a Registered Pharmacy registration number, usually at the bottom of the website.
Basically, if an online pharmacy has both of these checkmarks and only sells medication licensed for prescription in the UK, it’s a safe bet – just as secure as any highstreet pharmacy.
If an online pharmacy you’re browsing doesn’t have any of these visible checks or sells dodgy looking drugs, then you should avoid it and never order any medication from that site.
Is Ordering Medication Online Convenient?
The main reason that people are increasingly ordering their prescriptions online is because it’s quick and convenient. Once you’ve found an online pharmacy that you can trust and they have recognised your prescription, it’s very easy to just add the medication you need into your digital shopping basket, purchase it, and then have it delivered to you. The fact that this can all be done from the comfort of your own home is also a big plus! It’s particularly helpful for those who struggle with mobility, or for those shielding themselves from infection, as it arrives straight onto your doorstep so you don’t have to pick it up in person.
Can I Order Blood Pressure Medication Online?
Most online pharmacies will stock and sell blood pressure medication to people with a prescription. For example, e-Surgery is a reputable and UK licensed online pharmacy that sells Ramipril (and other blood pressure medication), from as little as £7.95 per box of capsules. It’s a pretty straightforward process – you pick your medication order and then fill in a 2 minute health questionnaire. Their prescribers check if this medication is right for you, and if it is, it’s packaged and delivered to you via Royal Mail. As it’s Royal Mail, you’ll have a choice of delivery options, including a guaranteed next day special delivery.
When you get the hang of ordering your medication online, it can really be an easy and convenient healthcare option that’s available from home.
Photo by Mockup Graphics on Unsplash.
