by Tod Cooperman, MD, President, PharmacyChecker.com, and Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com | Aug 5, 2011 | Online Pharmacies, Online Pharmacy Verification Services
In its July 2011 Progress Report, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) continues to do a disservice to Americans by classifying safe pharmacies in other countries as “rogue.” Out of the 8,000 sites “Not Recommended” by NABP, PharmacyChecker.com research shows 53 are safe international online pharmacies.
It is laudable and helpful to Americans when the NABP exposes truly rogue pharmacies, i.e., those that sell Americans fake drugs or even real drugs but without a prescription. However, the NABP has chosen, year after year, to lump in with these rogues, any pharmacy that is not based in the United States.
How can the NABP do this? Unfortunately, U.S. law says it is, under most circumstances, illegal for Americans to get their medicine from Canada or other countries. So NABP freely uses terms like “rogue,” “illicit,” and “illegal” when describing any foreign pharmacy. We see no reason to mislead the public into thinking that safe foreign pharmacies pose a danger and belong in the same group as rogue pharmacies. (more…)
Tagged with: Canada, foreign pharmacies, illegal, illicit, international online pharmacies, NABP, Not Recommended List, Pfizer, progress report, rogue, safety, United States
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, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com and Margaret Rode, PharmacyChecker.com | Jul 28, 2011 | Online Pharmacies
Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is calling for a crackdown on rogue online pharmacies to curtail prescription drug abuse. Senator Schumer’s emphasis is on stopping online pharmacies that sell drugs without a prescription, particularly addictive drugs, such as Adderall and Xanax, which are controlled substances. We commend Senator Schumer on his actions. Since we first began our own work in 2002, a key requirement for an online pharmacy to be approved in the PharmacyChecker.com Verification Program has been that it require a valid U.S. prescription before dispensing any drug to an American. We also require that any pharmacy selling controlled substances to Americans be based in the U.S. and comply with the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 – legislation intended to curb drug abuse.
This is not Senator Schumer’s first call to arms regarding online pharmacies. In 2006, he co-sponsored the Internet Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act (S. 399), a bill to curb the sale of prescription drugs over the Internet without a valid prescription. A press release from Schumer’s office noted, “the bill is geared to domestic Internet pharmacies that sell drugs without a valid prescription, not international pharmacies that sell drugs at a low cost to individuals who have a valid prescription from their U.S. doctors.” Unfortunately, S. 399 never became law. (more…)
Tagged with: Adderall, controlled substances, doctor training, drug abuse, Drug Enforcement Agency, illegal online pharmacies, Internet Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act, New York, Online Pharmacies, prescription, rogue online pharmacies, Ryan Haight Act, Schedule I, Schedule II, Senator Charles Schumer, United States, United States Department of Justice, Verification Program, Xanax
