by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Nov 16, 2011 | Advocacy, Online Pharmacies
The “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA), currently before Congress, threatens online access to safe and affordable medication through reputable international online pharmacies. A CBS-Fort Myers report gives a human face to this issue by highlighting a Floridian senior, Mary Miller, who is able to afford her medication only because of a Canadian online pharmacy. If SOPA passes, Ms. Miller may lose access to that Canadian online pharmacy. The CBS report features RxRights.org as the lead organization helping Americans rally to contact their elected officials to oppose SOPA.
Stopping rogue sites in many areas, such as those sites that steal and re-sell copyrighted movies and music, sell knockoffs of designer handbags and clothes, and especially those that sell dangerous or fake medication is the right idea. But a bill that could takedown many websites that are exercising the rights of free speech, publishing music and movies legally, and especially websites selling safe and affordable medication, is a bill that should be abandoned post-haste.
RxRights.org should be loudly applauded for its work on behalf of Americans who are struggling to afford medication by educating Americans about SOPA and how it could block access to affordable prescription medication.
Tagged with: affordability, Canada, Canadian pharmacies, CBS, Congress, copyright, Florida, Online Pharmacies, rogue sites, RxRights.org, safety, SOPA, Stop Online Piracy Act
by PharmacyChecker.com | Sep 16, 2011 | Advocacy, Drug Importation
Earlier this week, the head of RxRights.org, Lee Graczyk, issued a statement urging Congress “to exercise common sense and recognize that personal drug importation from legitimate, licensed pharmacies is a necessity for millions of Americans today.” Graczyk’s message was quoted in a CNBC article entitled, Why US Pays More for Health Care Than Other Nations. As a coalition member of RxRights.org, we are proud of the strong advocacy work they are doing to help seniors and all Americans gain access to affordable medication.
by PharmacyChecker.com | Aug 1, 2011 | Advocacy, Saving Money on Prescription Drugs
A study released last week by the Pew Foundation finds that “from 2005 to 2009, inflation-adjusted median wealth fell by 66% among Hispanic households”. The study goes on to say, “The typical Hispanic household had $6,325 in wealth and the typical white household had $113,149.”
In light of this information, we’re certain that our Spanish version of How to Save Money on Prescription Medications, Safely – A Consumer Guide, or Guía al Consumidor, is needed now more than ever to ensure the U.S. Hispanic community’s access to safe and affordable medication. With health costs ever rising, safe saving strategies are a lifeline for many, especially those hit hardest by the current economy.
Tagged with: consumer guide, economy, Guía al Consumidor, Hispanic, Pew Foundation, United States
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Jul 7, 2011 | Advocacy, Drug Prices, Online Pharmacies
Over the past few years we’ve found that, despite many positive ratings from actual consumers, the most reputable and safe international online pharmacies are unfairly given low ratings on WOT. As an online community of people who are supposed to rate websites on their trustworthiness, this is clearly problematic. Last week we posted an article about online pharmacies as a forum discussion on WOT – MyWot.com – to share our analysis of why the best international online pharmacies are wrongly receiving poor reputations. It should be recognized that many dangerous online pharmacies, foreign and domestic, are appropriately rated poorly on WOT, but, as described below, that doesn’t excuse rating good websites as bad.
In summary, a handful of WOT’s “Platinum” raters (those that have provided more than 10,000 ratings) mostly look to the online pharmacy evaluations of LegitScript.com and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, both aligned with the interests of big pharmaceutical companies. By doing so, WOT users are serving the commercial interests of the pharmaceutical and U.S. pharmacy industries by giving a low rating to trustworthy and safe online pharmacies. This is wrong and hurts consumers.
Because WOT ratings are used to determine exposure on other sites, unwarranted low ratings of safe and affordable non-U.S. online pharmacies, which are actually trustworthy, can harm American consumers who can’t afford drug prices. Sadly, these low ratings may cause them to forgo needed medication by wrongly believing an affordable online pharmacy is dangerous and untrustworthy when in fact it is very safe and trustworthy.
Since we posted the article as a forum there has been mostly positive feedback (except about the length of the forum) and a frank discussion about online pharmacies, access to medication and Web of Trust.
Tagged with: affordable drugs, LegitScript, mywot.com, National Boards of Pharmacy, Online Pharmacies, platinum rater, ratings, U.S. pharmacy industry, Web of Trust, WOT
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | May 9, 2011 | Advocacy, Personal Drug Importation
We’re proud to announce our support for RxRights (www.RxRights.org), a non-profit group dedicated to protecting access to safe and affordable personal drug importation through verified online pharmacies. PharmacyChecker.com is a coalition member of RxRights.org, which harnesses the non-profit community and American consumers in a shared effort to stand up and demand that our leaders listen to the American people instead of playing to the dictates of the pharmaceutical industry.
Go to RxRights.org advocacy campaign page, to send a message to your elected representatives. Tell them that the U.S. government should not take actions that could block access to safe and affordable medication.
Tagged with: advocacy campaign, elected officials, RxRights, RxRights.org, Take action
by Gabriel Levitt, President, PharmacyChecker.com and Prescription Justice | Apr 5, 2011 | Advocacy, Online Pharmacies, Personal Drug Importation
For the past decade, millions of Americans have safely purchased low-priced medications from Canadian and other non-U.S. online pharmacies. Now it appears that the White House Office of the Intellectual Property Rights seeks to shutdown such online pharmacies because they are not on a “White List” being created by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), an organization that misleadingly categorizes all non-U.S. online pharmacies that sell to Americans as “rogue.” Already, 25 million Americans do not take their medication due to cost. With less access to affordable medication, fewer Americans will take the medications they need.
We urge you to write to President Obama and your congressional representatives, and demand that actions are not taken against online pharmacies that safely provide affordable medication.
For more news on this advocacy initiative, click here.
Tagged with: Advocacy, Americans, Canada, Congress, drugs from canada, intellectual property rights, international pharmacies, NABP, pharmacies, President Ob, rogue, safe medicine, skip medication, United States, White House
