New Center Tackles Rogue Online Pharmacies
You open your Internet browser, type in “pharmacy” or “medicine” or some other iteration. What is the likelihood that you’ll stumble upon a trusted, law-abiding seller of pharmaceuticals? Turns out, shockingly low. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy estimates that an astounding 96% of all online pharmacies are operating outside the law, meaning they are not abiding by health and safety law, FDA regulations, and/or are selling counterfeit medicines.
These rogue online pharmacies oftentimes go to great lengths to appear legitimate on the surface, but underneath have the fingerprints of organized criminal networks which seek to line their pockets while jeopardizing the health of consumers with substandard and downright fake medicines. The products offered on these types of websites have even been found to be laced with rat poison or dry wall.
Recognizing the ubiquitous nature of rogue online pharmacies, an alliance of search engines, credit card/payment processors, and Internet companies recently launched the Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP). The Center’s goal is to “help curb the proliferation of illegal online drug sellers and promote unencumbered access to safe online pharmacies operating in compliance with the law” through a mixture of consumer education and private sector responsibility.
We applaud CSIP and its members for taking an important step toward tackling this enormous and lurking threat to public health and safety.
