What is the difference between Digital Pharmacy Accreditation and Healthcare Merchant Accreditation?
Digital Pharmacy Accreditation, which is only available to pharmacies located in the US, is recognized or required by more than 20 state boards of pharmacy. Digital Pharmacy Accreditation meets state regulatory requirements for certain online or mail order transactions and meets PBM requirements for provider network participation. To be eligible for Digital Pharmacy Accreditation, licensed pharmacies operating in the US must first obtain and maintain accreditation through our Healthcare Merchant Accreditation program for each website and have an active .Pharmacy domain throughout the Digital Pharmacy Accreditation application process and for as long as the pharmacy is Digital Pharmacy accredited. Digital Pharmacy Accreditation requires reviews of policies and procedures and an on-site survey to ensure compliance with the standards as necessary for accreditation.
Healthcare Merchant Accreditation, a global program, is available to a wide range of health care and health care-adjacent business models (eg, pharmacies, telemedicine platforms, prescription discount card programs, and even pharmacy consulting businesses) and is a required prerequisite for NABP Digital Pharmacy Accreditation. In contrast to Digital Pharmacy Accreditation, this program does not typically include an in-depth review of policies and procedures or an on-site survey. Rather, the evaluation is tailored to a specific merchant’s business model and is usually completed remotely. Healthcare Merchant Accreditation meets requirements set by online advertising platforms (eg, Google, Bing, Twitter, Snapchat) and card brand networks (eg, Visa, Mastercard).