A recent announcement highlighted CSIP’s partnership with North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall to promote the value of online pharmacy verification, especially during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, as more people seek to access prescription medications online. The partnership also includes tech giants and CSIP members Twitter, Facebook, Google and Microsoft in a joint effort to promote the free pharmacy verification tool on the website VerifyBeforeYouBuy.org to North Carolina residents. There is a great need for such verification, due to the fact that many online pharmacies are illegitimate and could pose grave dangers to consumers, including the sale of counterfeit and unsafe medications and identity theft.

Charlotte-based news station, WSOCTV, reported on the campaign effort and the online pharmacy verification process.

Additional coverage from North Carolina media outlets:

May 6, 2020: Be wary of fake online pharmacies, officials warn. Here’s how to tell they’re real (The Charlotte Observer, also in The News & Observer here)

May 6, 2020: FDA says 97% of online pharmacies are fake, pandemic increases these drug scams (WRAL)

May 6, 2020: Keeping families safe while buying prescriptions online: Verify Before You Buy public awareness campaign launched (The Daily Record)

May 6, 2020: ‘Verify Before You Buy’ helps online shoppers determine legitimacy (The Enquirer Journal)