Regulators and Stakeholders Intensify Efforts to Target Rogue Internet Drug Outlets

With prescription drug counterfeiters and illegal online drug sellers demonstrating their persistence throughout 2011, regulators and other stakeholders have stepped up efforts to fight Internet drug outlets as highlighted in the NABP Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: January 2012 (PDF). As explained in the report, multiple groups have developed new strategies and established partnerships aimed to help educate health care providers and consumers, to establish policies that further protect patient health, and to better understand and contain the risks posed by rogue sites.

To assist in protecting the public health, NABP remains committed to reviewing online drug sites and listing those that are out of compliance with state and federal laws and NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards. As of December 31, 2011, NABP has assessed 8,789 Internet drug outlets selling prescription medications and has found 8,456 (96.21%) of them to be out of compliance with state and federal pharmacy laws and practice standards. These sites are listed as Not Recommended in the “Buy Safely” section of safe.pharmacy. Additional data from NABP’s review of these sites is available in the report.