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

2. 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).

3. 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).

4. 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).

5. 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)

6. 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).

7. Where to find a safe online pharmacy
Visit the following online resources:
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:

8. Works Cited
(CIPA.com). (2016). CIPA Rx: Licensed, Certified, Trusted. Retrieved from (ConsumerReports.org). (2011 Oct). How Do I Know if an Online Pharmacy is Legitimate? Retrieved from drugs-from-canada-not-so-fast/index.htm (FDA.gov). (2015 Jan). The Possible Dangers of Buying Medicine Over the Internet. Retrieved from