By Marjorie Clifton, Executive Director, Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies
Over 96 percent of websites claiming to sell prescription medications are out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws and practice standards. The Partnership at Drugfree.org estimates that one in six Americans, approximately 36 million people have bought medication online without a valid prescription. In 2010, the U.S. market alone accounted for an estimated $75 billion in sales for counterfeit drug makers; a lucrative prospect for criminal networks. There has also been a rising trend of malware appearing on illegal pharmacy sites – designed to steal your information and used for credit card or identity theft. GoDaddy.com took action on 47,000 illegal pharmaceutical sites last year alone and 27,000 of them contained malware.
But filling a prescription online is not always a bad thing. It can be more convenient and less expensive. However, there are important factors consumers should consider when purchasing pharmaceuticals over the Internet.