Increasingly frustrated with the state of drug costs in the U.S., millions of Americans have found refuge in ordering necessary prescription medications online from Canadian or other international pharmacies for roughly a tenth the cost of those at their local Walgreens, CVS, or other pharmacy.

For many years, consumers have been relieved to find the international savings option after a simple search on Google or Bing. Among top search results for the words “online pharmacies,” there was a list of the safest international online pharmacies that sell to consumers in the U.S. and also facts about the benefits and risks of online pharmacies, including obtaining lower cost medication from licensed pharmacies abroad. That is, until recently.

Unfortunately, we know that Google and Bing are working with Big Pharma funded groups and programs. We believe this has led to censorship of affordable medication access on the Internet.

So, we’ve also started a petition to #StopBigPharma.

Americans used to be given a fair chance to research all options for savings on their prescription medications.

But now? Now, things look a little different.

PharmacyChecker.com has filed a lawsuit alleging that Google and Bing have let Big Pharma front groups strategically suppress and manipulate search results. Such pervasive puppetry limits user access to information about more affordable drugs and lower cost pharmacies, such as those located in Canada.

This censorship ultimately leads to more rationing and even skipping of much-needed medication. People researching the international pharmacy option will find Pharma-fed fallacies and warnings about ordering cheaper medication online: “It’s not safe!” “The medication from Canadian websites is really from China!” “It’s counterfeit, fake, rat poison” “It’s not made in the U.S. therefore it’s terrible!” “Pharmacies in the US only stock medication made in the USA!!”

All of this is nonsense, much of it written by people paid or funded indirectly by drug companies. Worse than “nonsense”: it’s a detriment to the public health.

People deserve unbiased, unfiltered access to information about safe, affordable medication. It’s really that simple. The petition tells Google and Bing not to let Big Pharma dictate your search results for drug prices and safe online pharmacies. The reality is that these major search engines have the power to help stop this coordinated censorship now.

As of today, 2,000 people have signed the petition and lent their voices to this important issue.

Please join them. Sign it. And comment. And share.

A particularly frustrating example of the hellscape that is drug pricing in the United States: The asthma inhaler, Advair Diskus (fluticasone/salmeterol) 250mcg/50 mcg runs around $1,400 for just three inhalers at U.S. pharmacies. Even with neighborhood pharmacy discounts and coupons available online for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) medications, we believe it would benefit families to check out international pricing: Brand name Advair Diskus can be ordered online from Canada for as much as 70% less.

If Americans decide to order from another country besides Canada, such as Turkey or New Zealand, they’ll find the inhalers for 95% less.

Packaging of Advair Diskus sold in the United States shows that it is made in the U.S. and England.

We wish we could say “Just Google it!”

Examples of Information PharmacyChecker Provides That Big Pharma Might Want Google and Bing to Censor

• Prescription drug price comparisons that have informed many millions over the years that Americans are grotesquely gouged.
• A list of credentialed online pharmacies, ones that are proven to require valid prescriptions, process orders filled by licensed and safe pharmacies, and have nothing to do with the opioid crisis because they don’t sell controlled drugs.
• Lots of information about the regulations, including that the FDA doesn’t expressly permit the personal importation of medication but millions do it and have never been prosecuted.
• A balanced approach to public education, identifying the safest international pharmacy options, while strongly warning consumers that there are dangerous websites that pose as legitimate pharmacies but are actually rogue operators.