A new group called the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (www.safeonilnerx.com) is working to prevent access to safe and affordable online pharmacies (Also see our article about a deceptive news release published by this group). Its membership and “observers” include the usual pharmacy, pharma and pharma-front groups: American Pharmacists Association, Eli Lilly & Company, LegitScript.com, National Association of Chain Drugstores, National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), National Health Council, and the Partnership for Safe Medicines.
The group’s stated mission is “to protect patient safety and ensure patient access to safe and legitimate online pharmacies in accordance with U.S. laws.” The unstated premise is that since it is technically illegal for Americans to personally import medication from abroad, only U.S. pharmacies (i.e., those that are members of its own member organizations) are in accordance with U.S. laws.
The focus of the group’s website’s is to direct its audience to current and past efforts (antics) of LegitScript.com, Safemedicines.org, and the NABP to misinform the public about the safety of buying prescription drugs from licensed pharmacies in Canada and other countries. These organizations, supported by the U.S. pharmaceutical and pharmacy industries, mix the genuine problems of rogue online pharmacies and counterfeit drugs with buying safe and affordable medication from non-US pharmacies, such as many of those verified by PharmacyChecker.com.
If this “Alliance” were to achieve its goals, uninsured and under-insured Americans would have less access to safe and affordable non-US online pharmacies. This will end up endangering, not protecting, patients.
