The Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) published its long awaited final rule in the Federal Register today (76 Fed. Reg. 77,330 (Dec. 12, 2011)) placing carisoprodol into schedule IV of the federal Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”). Federal scheduling of carisoprodol follows control of the drug by eighteen states around the country. Effective January 12, 2012, DEA’s placement pertains to carisoprodol (widely distributed under the trade name of Soma®), and its salts,...
Since its inception in 1999 by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) accreditation program has become the most trusted and respected means for the public to distinguish between legitimate and illegitimate online drug sellers.
The VIPPS program and its seal of approval assure the public that VIPPS retailers are legitimate online pharmacies appropriately licensed in each state to which they ship pharmaceuticals....
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. Now before the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP...
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) was established in 1904 to assist state licensing boards in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards to protect the Public Health. NABP’s member boards of pharmacy are grouped into eight districts that include all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, eight Canadian provinces, and New Zealand.
In response to public concern of the safety of...
LegitScript is a verification and monitoring service for online pharmacies and the only such service recognised by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as adhering to its standards aside from the NABP’s own VIPPS program.
LegitScript was founded by John Horton, who was a White House aide on drug policy issues from 2002 to 2007. The organization’s main office was initially located in Arlington, Virginia, but is currently identified as being in Portland,...
Legality and risks of purchasing drugs online depend on the specific kind and amount of drug being purchased.
- It is illegal to purchase controlled substances from an overseas pharmacy. A person purchasing a controlled substance from such a pharmacy may be violating two federal laws that carry stiff penalties. The act of importation of the drug from overseas violates 21 USC, Section 952 (up to 5 years in prison and $250,000 fine for importation of non-narcotic Schedule III, IV,...
An attraction of online pharmacies is drug prices. Shoppers can sometimes obtain 50 to 80 percent or more savings on U.S. prices at foreign pharmacies.
The Washington Post reported that “…millions of Americans have turned to Mexico and other countries in search of bargain drugs…U.S. Customs estimates 10 million U.S. citizens bring in medications at land borders each year. An additional 2 million packages of pharmaceuticals arrive annually by international...
Legitimate mail-order pharmacies are somewhat similar to community pharmacies; one primary difference is the method by which the medications are requested and received. Some customers consider this to be more convenient than traveling to a community drugstore, in the same way as ordering goods online rather than going to a shop.
While many internet pharmacies sell prescription drugs only with a prescription, some do not require a pre-written prescription. In some countries, this is...