Online pharmacies

That effort succeeded. However, the U.N. in February of 2001 warned that not all countries had laws that could be used to stop Internet drug trafficking. The U.N. s International Narcotics Control Board called on countries to adopt laws to halt Internet abuse such as the sale of illegal drugs by online pharmacies and drug stores. 

Figure 5.1 Online pharmacies fill prescriptions worldwide and some of them sometimes make illegal sales of controlled substances. Andrew Holbrooke/Corbis...

Basic pharmacokinetic/dynamic information can be found in a number of common sources such as the BNF, the SPC for the drug (or equivalent data if outside the UK), Martindale The Complete Drug Reference and AHFS Drug Information [1,3,4]. There are other books, such as Therapeutic Drugs, edited by C. Dollery, which may give more detailed information [2]. Other useful sources include online pharmacy and medical databases, bibliographic databases to identify relevant published material, and pharmaceutical manufacturers. 

The UK s Medicines Control Agency investigated 24 British websites as, under the Medicines Act of 1968, it is illegal to sell prescription drugs to an individual without a prescription. Unfortunately, as many online pharmacies operate internationally, the Medicines Control Agency has no jurisdiction abroad. 

This resume is intended to warn consumers in particular and also to make doctors and pharmacists aware of the likelihood that people seeking prescriptions or medications will take drugs from online pharmacies and possibly not reveal them to either the doctor or the pharmacist. It is important for healthcare professionals to specifically ask whether the patient uses drugs bought online, as well as asking about prescribed medicines, OTC drugs and supplements, and traditional and herbal remedies. 

The Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS) program is a voluntary certification program for online pharmacies and is sponsored by the NABP This program, initiated in 1999, provides a means for online pharmacies to demonstrate compliance with VIPPS criteria including patient rights to privacy, authentication and security of prescription orders, adherence to a... 

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Internet pharmacy and online pharmacies verification VIPPS. http //www.nabp.net/vipps/mtor.asp, accessed June 23, 2003. 

Green EJ. Update on the increasing regulation of Internet and online pharmacies. Drug Ben. Tr. 1999 11(9) 27-28. 

A growing number of printed journals provide their contents online. Sometimes, this is for free—e.g., the Pharmaceutical Journal (http //www.pharmj.eom) of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. But more often than not a subscription is needed. For details of other online pharmacy journals try the Virtual Pharmacy Library, PharmWeb (more information on these is given below in section, Internet Resources ), and the Free Medical Journals site (http //www.freemedicaljournals.com). Some journals will provide additional information online to their printed versions. Nature s Web site (http //www. nature.com) contains auxiliary data from authors, a link to a grant database and the opportunity to take part in online discussions. 

The near-boundaryless nature of the Internet has made it difficult for regulators trying to get a handle on Internet drug sales. At minimum, regulators are overwhelmed by the sheer number of online pharmacies in operation. They are hoping that ongoing efforts to craft Internet licensing criteria will provide much-needed relief. 

The NCPDP helps PBMs standardize online pharmacy claim adjudication. Online adjudication of claims is a key revenue generator for many PBMs. When prescriptions are filled at the pharmacy level, the claim for payment is transmitted electronically to the PBM. At the PBM, computers interface with eligibility data, plan design, and a set of rules that process the claim and send notification back to the pharmacy that the claim is processed. In the case of a rejection, the reason for rejection in the form of a rejection code is sent to the pharmacy. The NCPDP helped the PBMs standardize the data files used to adju-... 

A fully online pharmacy model—like e-pharmacy... 

If you order your medications online, follow these few simple guidelines. First, consult a professional health care provider before ordering or using any medications. This helps eliminate purchasing medications with false claims or those that have harmful interactions with medications currently being taken. Second, obtain a written prescription for any controlled substances and make sure that the online provider requires a copy of a valid prescription before dispensing snch substances. Third, check the standing of the online pharmacy s license with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Approved sites often bear the seal of VIPPS (Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites). Fourth, if your motivation... 

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