Our Panel of Experts
Tod Cooperman, MD
Chief Executive Officer and Founder
Dr. Tod Cooperman is a noted researcher, writer, and speaker on consumer healthcare issues.
Gabriel Levitt, MA
President and Co-Founder
Mr. Levitt oversees all business operations, development and research. He is a public advocate for prescription drug affordability.
Shivam Patel, PharmD, BSPS, RPh
Director of Pharmacy Verification and Information
Dr. Patel provides expert knowledge regarding safe pharmacy practice, quality assurance, drug safety, and patient access to affordable medication.
Can a doctor self-prescribe?
All PharmacyChecker verified pharmacies require a valid prescription, ones issued in compliance with domestic law. If the provider is permitted to self-prescribe in the state which they are located, then it is acceptable.
It's typically legal for doctors to self-prescribe, except in the case of controlled substances, which you cannot obtain internationally at PharmacyChecker-verified pharmacies. Research shows that self-prescribing is generally considered a bad idea simply because it's extremely difficult for doctors and other licensed prescribers to be objective when treating themselves.
A valid prescription is one issued pursuant to a legitimate patient-prescriber relationship, which requires the following to have been established:
- The patient has a legitimate medical complaint, illness or disease;
- A face-to-face physical examination adequate to establish the legitimacy of the medical complaint, or treatment of the illness or disease has been performed by the prescribing practitioner, or through a telemedicine practice where explicitly permitted under federal or state laws or regulations through a telemedicine practice; and
- A logical connection exists between the medical complaint, illness or disease, the medical history, and the physical examination and the drug prescribed.
If you do have a valid and current prescription for your medication, then you can order from a PharmacyChecker-verified online pharmacy. You can compare prices among verified online pharmacies on our website. Just type in the name of your drug in the search box!
Information regarding processing and dispensing of prescriptions is provided by each pharmacy. After selecting an online pharmacy, you can access the pharmacy's website by clicking on the pharmacy's logo. This will direct you to their website, which will provide instructions for how to register or set up an account with the pharmacy and place your order. If you have additional questions, you can contact the pharmacy using the "Contact Us" information. Some pharmacies will also have a "Live Chat" option to allow you to ask you questions while on the pharmacy's website.
Updated November 26, 2019
