Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites
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by: ccruiserboyy
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Word Count: 524
While many countries are working to defeat illegal online pharmacies that sell fake prescription medication, it can be very difficult to truly control these businesses, especially those that are based in one country but sell to another. However, the pharmacy industry itself is working to regulate this problem. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), a U.S. pharmacy board, created the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) plan in 1999. This plan helps customers learn about online pharmacies and their credentials before they purchase anything from them. One of the downsides to VIPPS is, of course, the fact that it is a voluntary program. This means that online pharmacies do not have to have a VIPPS certification to operate. Those that do, however, have agreed to the following guidelines. They must maintain all licenses required to operate a standard pharmacy. They must allow information regarding their operations and their pharmacy to be posted on the VIPPS web site, and they have to provide updated information on a regular basis. They have to allow a team from the NABP to inspect their place of business and their operations, and finally, they have to link to the VIPPS web site and display a specific VIPPS graphic on their site. When shopping online, anyone who sees the VIPPS graphic on an online pharmacy site knows that the pharmacy has been sanctioned by the NABP and sells only legal drugs. This is especially helpful to seniors, who are often the target of marketing scams. Many older internet users also don’t know of the many online ploys to get their credit card numbers, so letting them know of the graphic can help them be sure they only shop at legitimate online pharmacies. In addition to VIPPS, there are two other campaigns working to make certain online pharmacies are legit in the United States. One is a voluntary list of guidelines the American Medical Association has published that are aimed at internet prescriptions. These guidelines list certain standards that doctors should follow when writing prescriptions online. They include examining the patient to be certain what medical condition they have; discussing the prescription with the patient, including side effects; and finally, performing a follow up exam to be certain that the patient is not reacting to the medication in some unforeseen negative way. The third prong in the attack on illegal online pharmacies is being handled by the Food and Drug Administration. They’re working to education customers about both the benefits and the risks of using online pharmacies. They have launched a campaign using the internet, print brochures, and even radio stations to pass on important information about buying prescription drugs online. All three of these programs will help cut down on online pharmacies in the United States that sell fake prescription drugs, but they won’t completely stop the practice. It’s all but impossible to police the internet, and because of that, consumers have to be aware of what they’re buying and who they’re buying it from.
About the Author
Onlinepharmacydrugs.us is a US Based Online Pharmacy that only sells FDA approved Prescription Drugs. For more information and other articles visit http://www.onlinepharmacydrugs.us Visit Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites.
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