National Boards of Pharmacy Releases 2013 Report, 97% of Online Pharmacies Not Recommended
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has released their 5th annual report on Internet Drug Outlets. Published each year, it is a progress report for state and federal regulators that illustrates the state of online drug sales in the United States and the overwhelming dominance of fake online pharmacies in the global Internet marketplace.
As of March 4, 2011, NABP surveyed 10,275 internet pharmacies and found that 9,938 or 97% were classified as “Not Recommended”, meaning they did not comply with NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards, or state and federal laws.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) has released their 5th annual report on Internet Drug Outlets. Published each year, it is a progress report for state and federal regulators that illustrates the state of online drug sales in the United States and the overwhelming dominance of fake online pharmacies in the global Internet marketplace.
As of March 4, 2013, NABP surveyed 10,275 internet pharmacies and found that 9,938 or 97% were classified as “Not Recommended”, meaning they did not comply with NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards, or state and federal laws.
Of the 9,938 online drug websites classified as “Not Recommended.”
2,302 have a physical address located outside US borders (if they list an address at all).
8,701 do not require a valid prescription
5,940 issue prescriptions per online consultation only.
4,839 offer foreign or non-FDA-approved drugs.
1,588 do not have secure sites, which exposes customers to identity theft/financial fraud.
3,874 have server locations in foreign countries.
1,121 dispense controlled substances.
A scant 257 internet pharmacies of the total surveyed appear to meet program criteria reports the NABP. Only 80 sites, less than 1%, were accredited through NABP’s Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) programs.
NABP notes that of the 9,938 Not Recommended websites they surveyed, several have been deactivated “thanks to the successes of multistakeholder efforts to shut down rogue sites”
“Over the past five years it has become increasingly apparent that the likelihood of patients obtaining substandard or counterfeit drugs goes up substantially when online drug sellers are involved. The types of drugs counterfeited defy categorization. They include not only the so-called lifestyle drugs for baldness and erectile dysfunction, but also life-saving treatments for cancer and HIV, drugs that are in short supply in the legitimate supply chain, maintenance drugs that promise repeat business, and antivirals, especially in the midst of a public health epidemic such as recent H1N1 and H5N1 influenza outbreaks.” cautions the NABP report.
The NABP Internet Drug Outlet Report 2013 is available from the NABP website. It includes a complete list of all the pharmacy websites reviewed. The NABP asks patients to rely on VIPPS certified pharmacies for both human and pet medications. VIPPS certified sites are guaranteed to have been vetted by the NABP accreditation process. The NABP also offers an e-Advertiser certification for websites that provide only prescription drug refill requests and other prescription drug-related services.
Look for the VIPPS, VetVIPPS, and e-Advertiser logos whenever shopping for prescription drugs online.