What is the Canadian VIPPS program?
The Canadian Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (VIPPS™) program and its accompanying VIPPS Seal of approval identify Canadian pharmacies that are licensed by a Canadian provincial or territorial regulatory body, are legitimately operating, and have successfully completed a rigorous criteria review and inspection.
How does NAPRA verify the sites?
Canadian pharmacies wishing to become VIPPS-certified in Canada first submit a detailed application to the National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities (NAPRA). This application will include the pharmacy’s documented policies and procedures and in-depth information about the business. The information in the application (such as employee credentials, pharmacist in charge, and ownership) is verified with the provincial or territorial regulatory body. Specially trained VIPPS inspectors review the application, required policies and procedures, and the pharmacy’s website, and then conduct an actual physical inspection of the pharmacy. Once everything appears to meet the VIPPS criteria, the pharmacy is granted permission to display the Canadian VIPPS Seal and verified information about the pharmacy is posted on NAPRA’s VIPPS website. Clicking on the VIPPS Seal links consumers to NAPRA’s VIPPS website which verifies that the Seal is indeed posted on a VIPPS-certified site.
Does NAPRA regulate pharmacies?
No. NAPRA does not regulate pharmacies. Regulation of pharmacies, pharmacists and the sale of drugs in Canada is primarily the jurisdiction of NAPRA’s members: provincial and territorial pharmacy regulatory bodies. The VIPPS program is a voluntary certification program for which Internet pharmacies may apply. The value of the program to the patient and the pharmacy is that it provides members of the public with a means to verify that the pharmacy they choose is a legitimate, fully licensed Canadian pharmacy that has met stringent standard for operating on the Internet.
What is the legal status of on-line or “Internet” pharmacies in Canada?
To-date, only “brick and mortar” pharmacies are licensed to operate in Canada. Therefore, on-line pharmacy websites are either the homepages of legitimate “brick and mortar” community pharmacies or unfortunately, the front for illegal or fraudulent businesses. Without verification, either through provincial or territorial regulatory authorities or through VIPPS, it is often difficult for consumers to be sure that the on-line operation they are looking to purchase medications through is in fact, a legitimate Canadian pharmacy.
The number of pharmacies in Canada conducting business through the Internet is probably fewer than you would think. Illegitimate businesses posing as pharmacies come and go on an almost daily basis. One company posing as a legitimate pharmacy may have many URLs or web addresses, creating the impression that there is a greater number of Internet pharmacies than actually exists. In addition, pharmacies may only register with select search engines. If these search engines are not utilized when performing a search then all pharmacies may not be counted.
What’s wrong with using on-line services to have certain drugs prescribed for me? It means I don’t have to see a doctor and can obtain medicine with increased privacy and confidentiality.
Filling out questionnaires and obtaining prescription drugs without consultation with a physician can have serious health consequences. Health Canada and provincial governments restrict the distribution of certain drugs to a prescription-only basis because they can be dangerous if not taken with ongoing medical consultation. Most provincial medical regulatory bodies are of the position that a physician must attend and/or physically examine patients before ordering treatment including prescriptions, therefore on-line prescribing is considered unprofessional unless done pursuant to a valid, ongoing patient-doctor relationship that has included an in-person physical examination. Completing only an online questionnaire does not establish a valid patient-doctor relationship. Moreover, without a physical examination you could receive inappropriate medication and worsen an underlying, undiagnosed, serious medical condition.
As for the idea that on-line prescribing increases privacy and confidentiality, evidence appears to indicate that illegitimate prescribing website services frequently sell their customer lists to other illegitimate online operators and owners of Internet scam and pornography sites. By buying drugs from an illegitimate site you may be designating yourself as someone who is a good target for rip-off schemes.
Frequently, deceived consumers complain that they did not receive medications that they ordered and paid for through credit cards. Many also complain that they are unable to contact the “pharmacies”: phone numbers are not provided or when they are provided the phone lines have been disconnected or no one answers.
I live in the US. Is it legal for me to purchase and import prescriptions from Canadian pharmacies?
No. On a federal level, the Office of Regulatory Affairs of the FDA states that US Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C. section 331) prohibits the importation of unapproved new drugs. The importation of drugs that lack FDA approval, whether for personal use or otherwise, violates the Act. Unapproved new drugs are any drugs, including foreign-made versions of US approved drugs that have not been manufactured in accordance with and pursuant to an FDA approval. Further information can be found at the Office of Regulatory Affairs website at: http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/pipinfo.htm
In addition to this, many States require out-of-state pharmacies to be licensed with the particular State Board of Pharmacy in order to legally ship prescription drugs into that State. Non-US pharmacies are not typically eligible for licensure in the States.
And lastly, it is also important to note that it is illegal for pharmacies in Canada to fill prescriptions unless ordered by Canadian-licensed prescribers. The co-signing or approval of US prescriptions by Canadian physicians does not generally meet the standards of care for practitioners in Canada.
Canadian pharmacies that ship prescription medications to the US in contravention to federal and state laws are not eligible for Canadian VIPPS certification.
Are there any advantages to ordering medications online?
Convenience is a major advantage that some pharmacy websites provide. Consumers’ ability to order and receive medications without leaving their home is a tremendous time-saver. Often, drug information and price information may be accessed via the pharmacy’s Web site, or this information may be requested via e-mail so the consumer does not have to wait on the phone for an answer or travel to the pharmacy to ask for this information in person.
What if I believe my pharmacy has dispensed the wrong medication or labelled my prescription incorrectly?
Report these incidents to the provincial or territorial pharmacy regulatory body where you live and if different, where the pharmacy is located. You should also contact the pharmacy that mistakenly dispensed the medication. VIPPS certified pharmacies are required to document, track, and analyze these types of incidents to determine what went wrong and to prevent recurrences.
What are the signs of a suspiciously operating “pharmacy”?
First, you should suspect a pharmacy if it agrees to dispense prescription medications without a valid prescription. That is, if it does not ask you to mail in your prescription or does not contact your doctor to obtain a valid prescription by telephone or fax. Further, online pharmacies may be suspect if they dispense prescription medications solely based upon the consumer completing an online questionnaire without having a pre-existing relationship with a physician and the benefit of an in-person physical examination.
Pharmacies looking to do business on-line should have a phone number as well as a street address posted on their website. If the pharmacy merely has an e-mail feature, so that the sole means of communication between the consumer and the pharmacy is via e-mail, this is a suspect site.
Third, legitimate pharmacy websites allow consumers to contact licensed pharmacists if they have questions about their medications. If a site does not advertise the availability of licensed pharmacists for medication consultation, it should be avoided. Also, avoid pharmacy websites that ask customers to agree to “waive” their rights before conducting business.
Many suspiciously operating pharmacy businesses have limited numbers of medications for sale, particularly “lifestyle” medications that treat such conditions and diseases as impotence, obesity, herpes, pain, and acne. Although pharmacies may not stock every medication available on the market in Canada, on-line operations that offer for sale only a very limited number of drugs, may not be operating legitimately.
What if I believe that an “online pharmacy” may be operating illegally?
Please report suspicious Canadian websites by using the “Report-a-Site” feature in the VIPPS section of the NAPRA website. You may do so anonymously. Information will be then forwarded to the appropriate federal government agency or pharmacy regulatory body.
What organization covers the security of patient information for online pharmacies?
Security, confidentiality, and privacy are among the chief concerns of patients and health care professionals regarding online pharmacy services. Pharmacists must adhere to provincial and federal regulations and policies pertaining to the protection of confidential patient information.
Can I fax my prescription to a pharmacy, or does the pharmacy need the original prescription?
Most prescriptions can be faxed to pharmacies, however they must be received directly from the prescriber (not the patient) to be valid.