Article: Look for verification information when using online pharmacies
Protecting yourself online extends beyond securing your financial data and personal identification. People using Internet-based pharmacies to buy medication and beauty products put their health and physical wellbeing at stake.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, a licensing agency in Mount Prospect, Ill., has developed the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program, or VIPPS, to assure consumers that they are dealing with licensed pharmacies. Pharmacies whose Web sites bear the VIPPS seal have certified compliance with board standards for storing medication, quality control and protecting patient confidentiality.
‘‘As consumers continue to turn to the Internet for access to hard-to-find medications such as Tamiflu, or for better prices on drugs not covered by insurance or Medicare, they need to be extra vigilant to ensure they aren’t receiving counterfeit, improperly stored, diluted or otherwise tainted medication," said Matthew Stepka, vice president of online pharmacy drugstore.com, based in Bellevue, Wash. ‘‘The VIPPS seal lets consumers shop online with confidence."
National pharmacies such as Walgreen and CVS are VIPPS certified. Stepka said that drugstore.com, which was founded in 1999, annually fills 1 million prescriptions.
VIPPS certification requires online pharmacies to offer free phone consultations with a pharmacist. Many also allow customers to submit e-mail questions.
The National Board of Pharmacies says that online pharmacies often offer lower prices than conventional drugstores, and many accept prescription insurance coverage. They also frequently provide health-care information as well as price comparisons.
- www.anthemprescription.com
- www.caremark.com
- www.drugsourceinc.com
- www.drugstore.com
- www.familymeds.com
- www.cvs.com
- www.medcohealth.com
- www.careforlife.com
- www.rxsolutions.com
- www.rxwest.com
- www.teldrug.com
- www.walgreens.com
posted by Kathie Bracy at 12:26 AM
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