NABP has issued a report about the importance of collaboration among members of the international pharmacy community to protect patients worldwide from dangers posed by illegal online drug sellers. As described in the Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: October 2012 (PDF), global cooperation from public and private organizations has resulted in the shutdown of thousands of Web sites selling prescription drugs illegally.

NABP continues to review and monitor Web sites selling prescription drugs and its findings are also presented in the report – of more than 10,000 Web sites analyzed, nearly 97% operate out of compliance with pharmacy laws and practice standards established in the United States, and many other developed countries, to protect public health. Such sites provide an outlet for counterfeit medicines to enter the US drug supply, endangering the health and safety of Americans.

The report provides an overview of recent collaborative efforts – both public and private – that have occurred over the last six months. The report also includes information on the 9,830 Internet drug outlets currently listed as Not Recommended by NABP. For example, 9,543 of these sites appear to be affiliated with a network that obtains drugs from questionable sources, and 8,594 of these sites do not require a valid prescription.

The full news release is available in the Newsroom section of the NABP Web site. The full report and the NABP Not Recommended list are available on the AWARXE® Web site.