People who purchase drugs online should check that they are buying from a reputable pharmacy and that the drugs are coming from a legitimate source, British Columbia's pharmacy college advised Wednesday.

The regional coroner believes a 57-year-old woman from Vancouver Island may have died after being poisoned by sedative and anti-anxiety pills she bought through a website. The pharmacy claimed to be in Canada.

Health Canada has launched an investigation. It is not conclusive that Marcia Bergeron died from taking the drugs.

Bergeron bought a sedative that is not legally sold in Canada and has been linked to overdose deaths in other countries, said coroner Rose Stanton.

The case highlights how websites may appear to be Canadian when they are actually located overseas. Companies may create websites to sell drugs online, only to shut down and reopen a new web address days later, making it difficult to trace them.

Tips for buying drugs online

Beware of sites that offer drugs without a prescription, or offer to provide a prescription based on answers to an online questionnaire.

Watch for claims of a miraculous cure for any serious condition.

Avoid sites that sell products without a Drug Identification Number or DIN.

Source: Health Canada

International statistics suggest that in many developing countries, up to 40 per cent of medications are counterfeit and may lead to adverse reactions, said Marshall Moleschi of the College of Pharmacists of B.C.

Legitimate Canadian pharmacies that sell drugs online state that they are licensed under the provincial college, and list contact information for the store and its manager. Health Canada advises consumers not to do business with a website that refuses to provide a way to contact a pharmacist for help.

"You need to be sure that it is coming from a legitimate pharmacy," Moleschi said. 

Accessing drugs

People living in remote or rural areas may use an internet service offered by a legitimate pharmacy, Moleschi said. Those sales are tracked, but it is difficult to know how many people are buying from bogus sites.

Consumers may call provincial pharmacy colleges to verify if the drugs are from a legitimate source.

All drugs sold in Canada carry a Drug Identification Number or DIN on the label. If pills have been repackaged, that is a warning sign, Moleschi said.

In the U.S., pharmacy regulatory authorities give a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites or VIPPS seal of approval to sites as a safeguard, but it is not widely used, said Jeff Poston of the Canadian Pharmacy Association.

Poston encouraged people to get their drugs through a prescription from a physician and via a local pharmacy, since Canada has a strong system for regulating drugs and pharmacies.

If a drug does not seem to be available, people should talk to their pharmacist about other ways to gain access, such as Health Canada's special access program, Poston said.