213 Online Pharmacies Currently Verified
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY — MAY 3, 2007 —Following Monday's warning from the FDA of twenty-four web sites possibly selling counterfeit medications, PharmacyChecker.com is reminding consumers to look for its Verification Program Member seal. Sites bearing the seal have their licenses independently verified and policies checked and tested.
Currently 213 online pharmacies and related websites can display the seal from the program, which began in 2003 and is the largest independent program evaluating online pharmacies. Clicking on the seal reveals more details about each site. Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft all require pharmacy advertisers to be approved by PharmacyChecker.com before they can advertise on their search engines.
"It is a buyer beware situation for consumers looking for drugs on the Internet,' said Dr. Tod Cooperman, MD, president of PharmacyChecker.com. 'We are glad that we can help consumers identify legitimate pharmacies.' None of the twenty-four websites cited by the FDA for potential counterfeiting were members of the PharmacyChecker.com program.
PharmacyChecker verifies that a website fills orders with a licensed pharmacy, requires a valid prescription, uses secure transaction technology, publishes a privacy policy, and gives a correct address and phone information. PharmacyChecker also conducts mystery shopping and periodic license checks to monitor compliance. More information about the program and an image of the seal is found at www.pharmacychecker.com/sealprogram/choose/
Consumers can find a selection of approved online pharmacies and compare drug prices from many of these at www.PharmacyChecker.com.
PharmacyChecker.com is a privately held company based in New York. It has no ownership in or from companies that sell or distribute pharmacy products. The company also operates www.MedicareDrugPlans.com where seniors can compare, rate, and review Medicare Part D prescription drug plans.
