All prescription drugs ordered from PharmacyChecker.com sites passed independent authenticity tests
White Plains, New York - August 13th, 2010 — A study published today in the Public Library of Science One, a peer reviewed scientific journal, finds that prescription drugs ordered from online pharmacies verified by PharmacyChecker.com or the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) results in the delivery of safe, genuine medication to American consumers. In contrast, the report found that some sites that are not verified by either of these two groups may sell fake medications. These findings add greater clarity to the debate about personal drug importation, defusing safety arguments made by opponents of importation, who are often supported by the pharmaceutical industry. The study demonstrates the comparable drug safety when ordering from an NABP or PharmacyChecker.com-approved website.
The study was conducted by Roger Bate, an economics scholar with American Enterprise Institute, and an expert in counterfeit drugs, and Kimberly Hess of Africa Fighting Malaria. The researchers ordered five popular brand name prescription drugs (Lipitor, Viagra, Celebrex, Nexium, and Zoloft) from 152 websites: Twenty of these websites were approved by PharmacyChecker.com and all medications received and tested from these sites were shown to be the genuine product, as were medications ordered and received from the six NABP-approved sites. All PharmacyChecker.com and NABP-approved sites required a prescription.
“We were pleased to learn about this independent study, as it gives further assurance to Americans that they can safely reduce their medication costs by using PharmacyChecker.com-verified pharmacies,” said Tod Cooperman, MD, President of PharmacyChecker.com. “People unable to afford their medication can take advantage of the fact that most brand name medications can be purchased safely online at about one-quarter to one-half the price at which they are sold in the U.S. Savings are also found online for generic drugs, sold by lower-priced U.S. pharmacies verified by PharmacyChecker.com.” Consumers can compare drug prices and pharmacy ratings at PharmacyChecker.com for free.
Online pharmacies that are approved members of the PharmacyChecker.com Verification Program only dispense from licensed pharmacies; require a valid prescription, encrypt pages on which financial and health information is transmitted; publish a privacy policy that stipulates that a patient’s information is not shared with third parties, and publish valid mailing and phone contact information. This information is verified by PharmacyChecker.com and periodically re-verified throughout the year to insure compliance. Mystery shopping is also conducted to make sure sites are complying with prescription requirements. Non-U.S. online pharmacies are not permitted to sell controlled substances to American consumers. Pharmacies based in certain non-U.S. jurisdictions undergo onsite inspection to ensure that high pharmacy standards are being met.
The report noted that some products received from orders placed on PharmacyChecker.com-approved sites were foreign versions of the same FDA-approved drug sold in the American market. For instance, instead of receiving Nexium capsules, the authors received Nexium tablets, a version approved for sale in many countries. Some product names also differed. For example, a version of Nexium sold in India as Neksium was received by the authors, who confirmed with Nexium’s manufacturer, AstraZeneca, that the product was genuine. In order to provide the best prices to Americans, many PharmacyChecker.com-approved Canadian-based online pharmacies work with partner pharmacies in other countries.
Founded in 2002 by Tod Cooperman, M.D. to help Americans find the best drug prices from verified online pharmacies, PharmacyChecker.com’s pharmacy ratings and drug price comparisons are free to consumers. PharmacyChecker.com is based in New York and is a privately held company with no ownership in or from companies that sell or distribute pharmacy products.
Contact: Gabriel Levitt, Vice President, PharmacyChecker.com: gabriel.levitt@pharmacychecker.com, 718-387-4526
