A recent article by the San Diego Union-Tribune raises concerns over online pharmacies. According to the piece, a vast majority of online pharmacies may not be compliant with US Federal standards. Carmen Catizone, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), was quoted as saying, “We have found that 92 percent of Web-site pharmacies are illegal or in violation of FDA regulations.” In order for online pharmacies to be considered legitimate by the FDA they must be located within the US, licensed within its home state, and not fill orders without a written doctor’s prescription.
Moreover, the article warns that the quality and efficacy of drugs purchased at illegitimate online pharmacies can be questionable at best. Common issues include counterfeit, expired, mislabeled, adulterated, or contaminated drugs. The majority of such online pharmacies are located outside of the US, and though they claim to be importing mostly Canadian drugs, this is likely not the case. An FDA investigation in 2005 revealed that nearly half of the imported drugs used to fill online pharmacy orders originated from India, Israel, Costa Rica, and Vanuatu —not Canada. Additionally, 85% of the imported drugs claiming to be Canadian actually came from 27 separate countries.
It is important to keep in mind that not only is it illegal for US citizens to import prescription drugs, despite indications from some online pharmacies, but many of these imports stem from developing nations with more lax prescription drug regulations and enforcement, leading to an increased probability that what you receive may not be what you ordered. In addition to these concerns, FDA spokesman Christopher Kelly was quoted as saying, “The FDA will detain or refuse entry (into the U.S.) of illegal, unapproved products that it finds.”
The moral of the story is do not play with your health; avoid illegitimate online pharmacies with prices too good to be true. For a list of NABP accredited online pharmacies or to report online pharmacies you suspect could be unlawful please visit their website at: http://www.nabp.net/.
Filed under: Counterfeit drugs | Tagged: Counterfeit drugs, internet pharmacies, patient safety
