If you didn’t believe in natural medicine, you probably wouldn’t bother reading this e-letter or Dr. Wright’s Nutrition & Healing. But even the strongest believers sometimes find themselves with something they never though they’d have: a prescription for a patent medication. And while I hope you’ll explore all the natural alternatives first, I’m not so unrealistic to think that you’ll never take a drug.

But when and if this situation should arise, there is one caution I can give you: Do not try to save a buck by buying your medication from an online source claiming to be a pharmacy.

The FDA issued a warning about Internet drug retailers a few weeks ago, after it found that 24 of these sites were selling potentially counterfeit medications.

The list of sites the FDA warned consumer against is as follows:

AllPills.net
Pharmacy-4U.net
DirectMedsMall.com
Brandpills.com
Emediline.com
RX-ed.com
RXePharm.com
Pharmacea.org
PillsPharm.com
MensHealthDrugs.net
BigXplus.net
MediClub.md
InterTab.de
Pillenpharm.com
Bigger-X.com
PillsLand.com
EZMEDZ.com
UnitedMedicals.com
Best-Medz.com
USAPillsrx.net
USAMedz.com
BluePills-Rx.com
Genericpharmacy.us
I-Kusuri.jp

But don’t let this list give you a false sense of security about other online pharmacies being on the up-and-up just because they’re not on it. The bottom line is that there is no substitute for having a real, live pharmacist fill your prescription: someone who can answer your questions, someone who knows what other medications and supplements you’re taking and can help guide you toward healthy choices, and someone who’s accountable for the things they’re giving you to put into your body.