Consumers Warned That Their Health and Money Are at Risk
WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY - DECEMBER 12th, 2007 — Thirty-six 'rogue pharmacy' websites were listed today by PharmacyChecker.com. Consumers should be alerted that using these websites may put their health and money at risk. These pharmacies show no evidence of being licensed and may display unauthorized or altered verification seals from PharmacyChecker.com and other third-parties.
The list of rogue pharmacies is found at www.pharmacychecker.com/rogue-pharmacies/ and will be continually updated. Consumers have reported the following types of complaints to PharmacyChecker.com about these pharmacy websites:
- Credit cards charged (or overcharged) but no drugs delivered
- Delivery dates continually postponed (e.g., item was 'out of stock', or 'seized by Customs')
- Receipt of the wrong drugs or 'fake' drugs
- No order confirmation
- No prescription requested or required
- No response to customer inquiries — phones not answered or voicemail and email messages not returned
- Evasive or uninformative responses to customer's inquiries ('the manager isn't here today', 'you'll have to call back')
"An unethical person in any part of the world can now reach into your home through your computer and pretend to be a legitimate pharmacy," said Dr. Tod Cooperman, MD, president of PharmacyChecker.com. "But you can take some simple steps to avoid rogue pharmacies and find legitimate pharmacies that offer authentic medication at significant savings."
PharmacyChecker.com advises consumers to look for the PharmacyChecker.com seal (clickable image below and at https://www.pharmacychecker.com/sealprogram/choose/) before ordering prescription medication from a website. Just as important, the seal should link to a page on www.pharmacychecker.com providing a profile of the site. Other important items to look for in an online pharmacy are:
- Working contact information
- Online security for pages on which financial or personal information is transmitted. (Look for a "locked padlock" icon in the bottom right corner and "https" at the beginning of the page address.)
- A requirement that you send a prescription
- A privacy policy that protects your information from third parties
- License information: Many pharmacies will provide their pharmacy license information which can be checked with pharmacy boards.
PharmacyChecker.com operates the largest independent verification service of online pharmacies. Its verifications are used by Google adWords, Yahoo Search Marketing, and Microsoft adCenter to qualify online pharmacy advertisers. Two hundred and twenty-seven online pharmacies are currently authorized to display the PharmacyChecker.com seal through the PharmacyChecker Verification Program. Qualifications are checked and re-checked periodically throughout the year and PharmacyChecker conducts mystery shopping to assure compliance. Examples of online pharmacies that have been verified by PharmacyChecker.com can be found at https://www.pharmacychecker.com/online-pharmacy-ratings/.
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.
Contact: Gabriel Levitt at glevitt@pharmacychecker.com or 718-387-4526.
