New EU Logo Will Establish Online Pharmacies As "Legit"
By Lori Clapper
The rapidly growing counterfeit drug epidemic has spurred the EU to unveil an officially-sanctioned internet pharmacy logo that will help consumers verify their authenticity. The design was introduced last week as part of its Falsified Medicinal Products Directive to combat the circulation of fake medicines that pass themselves off as the real products.
As part of the strategy, online pharmacy sites within the EU will be required to clearly display the logo, as well as identify the EU member state where they are based, according to PMlive.
A genuine logo will link consumers to the national regulatory authority website, which will list all legal online pharmacies and other authorized retailers of medicines. Site visitors can check to see if the pharmacy is listed, and be assured of credibility before making a purchase.
The regulation will be enforced in the next four to six weeks, although Member States have one year to prepare for its application. There is also a communication toolkit provided by the European Commission to help member states prepare for this regulation.
"When buying medicines online, consumers must be aware that unless they buy from legally-operating online medicine suppliers, they run the risk of buying medicines that are falsified,” European Commissioner for Health Tonio Borg said.
In 2012 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched its own campaign, BeSafeRx – Know Your Online Pharmacy, warning U.S. citizens about the dangers of fraudulent websites that don’t meet state and federal laws. The program is not intended only for patients and their caregivers, but as an educational resource for federal agencies, private organizations, and nonprofit organizations.
“Nearly 1 in 4 Internet consumers has purchased prescription medicine online. At the same time, nearly 30 percent said they lacked confidence about how to make safe online purchases,” the FDA said in its 2012 announcement.
In addition, a growing number of online pharmacies do not require a pre-written prescription to buy a prescription medication. Some of these pharmacies may even say they are located in the U.S., but are actually registered in a country where prescriptions are not required.