Safe Online Pharmacies National Public Health Week 2017 Safe Online Pharmacies Think before you click! Benedictine University – MPH SAP

Online pharmacy safety: How much of a threat is it? According to a 2011 consumer report review of 8,300 online pharmacies: 6,812 (almost 85%) did not require prescription 3687 offer foreign drugs that are not FDA approved 2,100 have an address outside the U.S. 2,878 have servers located in foreign countries A 2008 European Alliance study ordering drugs from 116 websites found the following: 90% did not require proof of prescription 85% did not provide information linking website to a verifiable walk-in pharmacy Tests showed that 62% of medication were counterfeit, substandard, or in generic form that is not licensed. (ConsumerReports.org, 2011).

Reasons people buy online: Seniors on fixed income, or individuals without health insurance Seeking less expensive prescription options Competitive pricing Prescription drugs may be 50-80% cheaper in other countries such as Canada Convenience reasons Illegitimate, or rogue online pharmacies do not require a proof of prescription. (ConsumerReports.org, 2011).

Signs of an unsafe online pharmacy (& Risks) Does not provide contact information, or a phone number to call with concerns or questions Does not require proof of prescription Offers drugs at a price dramatically lower than competition (If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!) Sends drugs with unknown quality or unknown origin They may send you the wrong drug, or a product dangerous to your illness They may not protect your personal information. (FDA.gov, 2015).

Signs of a safe online pharmacy Located in the U.S. Look for a “VIPPS” seal, “Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites” seal or a .pharmacy in their website address. Website is listed on the “National Association of Boards of Pharmacy”, showing it is state board licensed where the website operates It has a licensed pharmacist to answer questions, concerns Requires a prescription from a health care professional It provides contact information, has a customer service number allowing you to talk to someone. (FDA.gov, 2015)

Signs of a safe online Canadian pharmacy Many websites claiming to be Canadian, are not Canadian Legitimate Canadian websites are regulated by Health Canada, or have a ‘”CIPA” seal, “Canadian International Pharmacy Association” The Canadian International Pharmacy Association has a list of 65 approved, prescription required, licensed CIPA pharmacy websites These websites can be up to 80% cheaper than U.S. prices Sells prescription drugs in a 90 day quantity to the U.S. and Canada Has provided safe pharmaceuticals to over 10 million Americans since 2002 (CIPA.com, 2016).

Where to find a safe online pharmacy Visit the following online resources: http://buysaferx.pharmacy/find-a-safe-online-pharmacy/ https://www.safe.pharmacy/buying-safely/ https://www.cipa.com/check-online-pharmacy-real-fake- certified-rogue/ Look for a website with a .pharmacy domain, they have all been verified and confirmed as legitimate pharmacies Look for the following logos:

Works Cited (CIPA.com). (2016). CIPA Rx: Licensed, Certified, Trusted. Retrieved from https://www.cipa.com/ (ConsumerReports.org). (2011 Oct). How Do I Know if an Online Pharmacy is Legitimate? Retrieved from http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2011/10/save-money-by-ordering- drugs-from-canada-not-so-fast/index.htm (FDA.gov). (2015 Jan). The Possible Dangers of Buying Medicine Over the Internet. Retrieved from https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm048396.htm