State pharmacy board monitors questionable Internet drug sites

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With more pharmaceutical consumers using the Internet for prescription drug purchases, the Missouri Board of Pharmacy is working to ensure that online sites provide products and services that are in compliance with Missouri practice acts and with state and federal drug laws.|ret||ret||tab|

In the past year, the Board of Pharmacy has been actively reviewing such sites and attempting to purchase prescription medications from entities that appear to offer products and services that are noncompliant with Missouri laws. |ret||ret||tab|

"The increasing number of consumers using the Internet to purchase prescription drugs requires that the Board of Pharmacy maintain an online presence as well and commit the appropriate recourses in order to help assure that the citizens of Missouri receive safe and effective medications through appropriate licensure and the enforcement of minimum standards of practice," said Kevin Kinkade, RPh, executive director of the Missouri Board of Pharmacy. |ret||ret||tab|

To date the board has visited 45 sites offering human and/or veterinary prescription drugs and a board inspector has been able to complete 21 purchases. Fourteen other sites have refused to provide products since the board inspector became active on the Internet. |ret||ret||tab|

During the course of its analysis, the board has observed a substantial increase in Internet sites offering prescription drugs directly to consumers who complete an online questionnaire that does not include any method of verification or require proof of a valid patient examination or an individual's age. |ret||ret||tab|

The ongoing review also has revealed that drugs are being dispensed to Missouri citizens from unlicensed and unregulated locations. In addition, most sites offer consumers little or no guarantee that the drugs supplied to them are safe and effective, while other sites are giving access to prescription drugs and controlled substances to consumers that should not have them due to untoward effects or contraindications of the drugs. The board has also found some businesses committing fraud on Missouri consumers. |ret||ret||tab|

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Corrective measures|ret||ret||tab|

In response to these noncompliant sites, the board has issued 16 Cease and Desist Letters warning of further pending action by the board if corrective actions are not taken; denied two applications for licensure; is seeking discipline on two licenses; and is seeking injunctive relief on one pharmacy.|ret||ret||tab|

All states require the licensure of pharmacists and the pharmacy before providing prescription drug services. Missouri is among 40 states that require licensure of all drug outlets doing business in their state, whether or not a physical location exists in the state.|ret||ret||tab|

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Consumer protection |ret||ret||tab|

In addition to the board's review of these potentially problematic pharmaceutical sites, Kinkade said that consumers can also help protect themselves from fraudulent pharmacies. |ret||ret||tab|

"A few years ago, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy instituted the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program, which provides consumers with an easily recognizable seal of approval that instantly verifies the legitimacy of an online pharmacy," Kinkade said.|ret||ret||tab|

The VIPPS seal of approval is located on pharmaceutical Web sites that have met a 17-point criteria review and passed an onsite inspection by a team of specially trained pharmacy inspectors. By clicking on the VIPPS seal, consumers can also verify information about the pharmacy's ownership, licensure, disciplinary sanctions and other pertinent information. In addition, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy provides a searchable Web site at www.nabp.net where consumers can find a VIPPS certified pharmacy that matches their needs. |ret||ret||tab|

The Missouri Board of Pharmacy is a professional licensing board within the Division of Professional Registration, which is a regulatory agency under the Missouri Department of Economic Development. |ret||ret||tab|

The board works in conjunction with other state and federal agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to enforce drug laws. |ret||ret||tab|

A part of the board's mission is to enforce minimum standards of practice and licensure for the practice of pharmacy and to protect consumers against incompetent or illegal practices.|ret||ret||tab|

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