White Plains, NY — May 23, 2017 — Today, PharmacyChecker.com, which provides information about international online pharmacies and their drug prices, announced the publication of its latest standards, against which online pharmacies are evaluated in the PharmacyChecker.com Verification Program. New policy guidance documents, as well as an introduction explaining the critical role PharmacyChecker fills in protecting public health have also been published.
"With millions of Americans turning to the Internet for lower drug prices from Canada and other countries, it is critical that they have a way to identify the safest online options and avoid rogue online pharmacies," says Gabriel Levitt, PharmacyChecker.coms president. The PharmacyChecker Verification Program is under the direction of Kelly Ann Barnes, JD, RPh, a licensed pharmacist who formerly served as Director of Pharmacy Quality Assurance for the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy.
Among the criteria verified in the Verification Program are pharmacy licensure, prescription requirements, marketing claims, privacy protocols, personal data security, and transparency of pharmacy location. Canadian and other international pharmacies that sell controlled drugs to customers in the U.S., like prescription narcotics or anti-anxiety medications, are banned from the program. Compliance with these standards is continually monitored.
In a public letter, sent out to public health groups and healthcare advocacy organizations, Ms. Barnes wrote: "PharmacyChecker recognizes the importance of continuous quality improvement. By continually evaluating our processes and benchmarking our program requirements against best practices and changes in the marketplace, PharmacyChecker works to ensure its verification program requirements continue to meet industry best practices for validating high standards of pharmacy practice."
Peer-reviewed and independent research, which includes evaluating online pharmacy practices, medication quality and consumer surveys demonstrate the safety of international online pharmacies approved by PharmacyChecker and its benefit to patients seeking lower cost medication on the Internet. See "In Whom We Trust: The Role of Certification Agencies in Online Drug Markets," in the B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis and Policy.
The international online pharmacies in the Program sell prescription drugs from Canada at an average savings of 70% when comparing lowest U.S. local pharmacy to online Canadian prices, and, for drugs dispensed from other countries, at savings up to 97%. Online pharmacies that apply to and are approved in the Program are eligible to publish the PharmacyChecker Seal, and list on www.pharmacychecker.com, which helps patients identify which options are safest.
PharmacyChecker seeks public comment and input from consumer groups, healthcare professionals, academic and commercial researchers, manufacturers, government agencies, and trade groups on its evaluations and reporting. Comments and questions should be submitted electronically to kelly.barnes@pharmacychecker.com.
PharmacyChecker.com, founded in 2002 by Tod Cooperman, MD, is the leading website for comparing prices of medications available online from licensed pharmacies around the world, ones that are verified and monitored in its Verification Program. PharmacyChecker.com has been widely cited and recommended by many media outlets.
