Last week, I wrote about the new moves the U.S. Government's Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) has taken to try and monitor the online pharmaceutical marketplace. Lilly is committed to giving patients the tools to minimize risks when shopping for medicines in the dangerous online environment.  Therefore, while IPEC is putting forth initiatives to make purchasing medicines online safe, I think it is important to go over a few guidelines that would help the average consumer know that the medicines they are purchasing are from a safe, legitimate online pharmacy.

Purchasing counterfeit medicines online is a pressing problem.  According to the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP)website, organic search- engine results are not screened by search engine companies. This means the search results may show links to illegal online drug-sellers right alongside links to legitimate, licensed pharmacies that comply with U.S. laws.  Remember, just because a website advertises itself as a "safe online pharmacy" does not mean that it is legitimate. In 2009, LegitScript and Internet compliance firm KnujOn conducted studies of Internet advertisers purporting to be pharmacies on both Yahoo! and Bing. The Yahoo! Study showed that of the Yahoo!-sponsored Internet pharmacy ads, 82% were operating out of compliance with U.S. law. Similar results were found in a study of Bing advertisers.

Many counterfeiters have sophisticated tools in place to deceive average well-informed internet shoppers.  For instance, many illegitimate sites that list their physical address in Canada or the European Union are in fact located in other third-party countries are have no relation to the regulatory authorities of the countries where they claim to be.   They ship their fake pills by mail from multiple locations around the world, making it difficult for authorities in different countries to track them down.  Many advertise "no prescription required" and use spam advertising to lure buyers, while online search results list hundreds of fake websites that appear authentic to the average shopper.  

Here are a few guidelines to help you purchase medicines on the internet safely in the United States:

• Make sure the website requires a valid prescription from your doctor. Many of these websites offer a prescription through an on-line questionnaire or review by a remotely-located physician.
• You can start your search for the purchase of online medications at the verification/certification websites offered by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, through its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS website ) and Legitscript.com. 
  • You can verify the URL of the online pharmacy that interests you before going to the online pharmacy site by checking the list of VIPPS recommended websites.
  • Clearly, you can't go by checking to see if there is a  security logo alone, because (as you can see) I easily managed to cut and paste the VIPPS logo to show you in this blog. 
  • The FDA recommends you only buy medicines from licensed pharmacies located in the United States and certified by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. We recommend that you make sure the website is properly verified, certified, or affiliated with a state-based pharmacy.
  • Take note if the security logo is missing during the checkout process, or if the web browser indicates a security risk when moving into the checkout process, as any financial information you provide (such as credit card number) could be at risk.
  • Avoid warning signs that indicate a website might be fraudulent. For example, avoid websites found in spam advertisements or emails, as well as unfamiliar websites from pharmacies in another country. Exercise caution if the prices seem "too good to be true."

It is important that you always practice safe shopping when it comes to going online for your family's medicines and health needs. Talk to your doctor or insurance company about reputable online pharmacies that they would suggest using. Always exercise caution when purchasing medicines on the internet and, if you believe a website is selling illegal medicine, report it to the authorities immediately. Check the FDA's website for more details about buying medicines or medical products online.