ASOP's 'Buy Safe Rx' campaign guards against rogue online pharmacies

 

 

WASHINGTON - This week the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies is launching “Buy Safe Rx”, a new campaign to educate consumers about the potentially life-threatening health and financial risks associated with buying prescription medicines online.  

 

In a new report issued in April by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, an ASOP Global observer, NABP reviewed nearly 11,000 Internet drug outlets, finding that 96.2% of the sites reviewed operate out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws and practice standards. The report also found that approximately 88.3% of NABP’s "Not Recommended" sites are selling prescription drugs without requiring a valid prescription. In addition, approximately 62% do not provide a valid address, and nearly 50% offer drugs that are either foreign, or not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Further, of the 10,521 “Not Recommended” sites, 91% can be traced to affiliate networks of rogue Internet drug outlets.

 

It is estimated that between 100,000 and 700,000 people die every year from counterfeit drugs bought online which are often manufactured in unsafe conditions; contain no active ingredients; and/or contain dangerous substances including floor wax, mercury, concrete, chalk, boric acid, road tar, paint, anti-freeze and other poisons. 

 

Since it was founded in 2009, ASOP Global has been dedicated to addressing the growing public health threat of illegal online drug sellers through strategic efforts around the world, concentrating its activities in research, education, Internet commerce company voluntary actions, and policy and advocacy. Protecting patient safety globally and ensuring patients access to safe, approved medicine through legitimate law-abiding pharmacies is a critical public health issue and top priority for ASOP. The organization works with policymakers, non-profits and domestic and international organizations to help educate consumers and advocate for effective means to protect consumers from the dangerous – and often fatal – risks posed by illegal online drug sellers.