Congress sets sights on rogue pharmacies

MMR,  Oct 20, 2008  

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WASHINGTON -- Senate passage of legislation targeting illegal online pharmacies has been praised by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. The trade association asserts that the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 will also protect the ability of patients to fill legitimate prescriptions on the Web.

"NACDS members operate legitimate, state-licensed pharmacies, many of which have an associated and branded web site that offers customers the convenience of contacting their pharmacy via the Internet for medication and health care needs," notes president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson.

Illegal online sites entice consumers into schemes in which they obtain drugs without a prescription or without a valid patient/prescriber relationship. Unapproved, counterfeit, mislabeled and/or adulterated medications are often sold on such sites.

But the recently passed Senate legislation (the House of Representatives has approved a version as well) is designed to curb the rogue sites. At presstime the bill was still awaiting the signature of President Bush.

Anderson stresses that NACDS maintained close collaborations with House and Senate sponsors of the legislation to make certain that the final version made a clear distinction between rogue sites and legitimate pharmacies. He points out that the law "will not interfere with the important services and products that our members offer online."

Leading the cause, comments Anderson, were Sens. Diane Feinstein (D., Calif.) and Jeff Sessions (R., Ala.) as well as Reps. Lamar Smith (R., Texas) and Bart Stupak (D., Mich.).

Also praising passage of the legislation is the Drug Enforcement Administration, which says the measure provides it with the tools the agency needs to identify rogue online pharmacies.

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