We’ll be discussing online pharmacy safety quite a bit on this blog. For starters, here are four of the biggest warning signs that you are dealing with a rogue pharmacy.

1. No prescription needed. Rogue pharmacies generally do not require you to see a doctor to get a prescription. They advertise “No Prescription Needed!” or say they will provide a complimentary online consultation with a physician — which usually simply entails you filling out a brief form.

2. You can’t find an address on their site. Many sites claiming to be licensed Canadian pharmacies are actually based in third-world countries in Asia and Africa. They sometimes even put a fake government seal on their sites! If you can’t find an actual address, that’s a good clue that you’re being scammed.

3. They only offer the most popular drugs. If the Web site only offers Viagra, weight-loss drugs and painkillers, you’re not dealing with a real pharmacy — and who knows what, if anything, you’ll receive in the mail if you place an order.

4. They spam your inbox. Did you know that “Canadian pharmacies” is one of the most frequently used subject lines in spam e-mails? NO legitimate pharmacy sends out these kinds of e-mails. Do not respond to them under any circumstances.

If you come upon any of these business practices, do not make a purchase! In fact, we encourage you to leave the Web site immediately — or you might just end up with a nasty virus on your PC.

Welcome to No Prescription Needed’s Online Pharmacy Blog.

We created this blog to educate visitors about the dangers of buying prescription drugs without a prescription from your doctor. So-called “no-prescription pharmacies” are just one of the many scams and hazards facing beleaguered healthcare consumers when they attempt to save money by buying prescription drugs online.

By reading this blog, you’ll learn to separate the scammers and rogue operators from the legitimate U.S. and Canadian online pharmacies that can save you up to 50 percent or more on your prescription drug purchases.

The members of No Prescription Needed already know their choices are safe ones. That’s because, as a benefit of joining No Prescription Needed, you will have access to more than two dozen low-cost pharmacies that are licensed in their home countries. Through our comparison-shopping search engine, you’ll be able to find the best deals available on the Web from legitimate sources.

No Prescription Needed is currently revamping our members area, which will go live Feb. 1. At that time, we hope you’ll consider joining our community of safe, smart prescription drug buyers. In the meantime, we hope you’ll check in on the No Prescription Needed Blog often to educate yourself about the dos and don’ts of buying drugs online.