Discover How You Can Save Up to 70% For Online Drugs Safely!
How Kwikmed.com Overcame The Shame of Online Pharmacy NegligenceArticle Date Reviewed: Date:
Article Author: If you're looking to fill a drug prescription online or looking for a lifestyle drug, do you know how to recognize a scam that puts your life at risk?
....so what’s the problem? With hundreds of websites available to get your medication, how can you tell which online pharmacy sites are legitimate? And, if they are legitimate how can you be sure they are not part of growing problem of pharmacy negligence? Here is a name you can trust that meets all the requirements for a legitimate pharmacy - but you need to have a doctors presciption already. Today it has become so difficult to recognize a legitimate pharmacy online, especially when it is so so easy to set up a web-based store that has a professional appearance and marked with an impressive "look a feel" of a real pharmacy. Then add the promises of "we make it easier and faster than ever to get the drug prescription online" Including:
...and it can become very appealing to order your drug prescription online - almost irresistible! But don't do it until you read the inside story on how some pharmacies online really operate... ...I guarantee you will be shocked to learn to truth about many of these so called "online pharmacies". My intention is not to scare you from buying online, but to provide you with information that can help you make a wise buying decision. Afterall, like I mentioned above the benefits of getting your drug prescription online can be real, however, not all pharmacies delivery on their promise. If you become a victim of an Internet drug prescription online scam you can potentially do more that lose money - your health and lifestyle could be compromised or worse death. Unfortunately, there are currently too many cases of online pharmacy scams and pharmacy negligence cases to consider the problem has insignificant.
Below you will read the Kwikmed.com story that resulted in a Federal Grand Jury delivering a 198 count indictment against a "store front" pharmacy that prescribed and dispensed drug prescriptions online, including :
The Kwikmed story is not intended to discourage you from using a pharmacy online. In fact the opposite is true. The lesson here is that There are risks that you can mitigate - and in the end kwikmed.com has turned their downfall into a truely remarkable success. While many people use Web pharmacies like drugstore.com to fill prescriptions they get from their doctor, KwikMed goes a step further by not only selling drugs, but also arranging for patients to obtain a prescription from a doctor through an online consultation. In fact the complete story will provide you with a powerful learning lesson on how to instantly spot “rouge” pharmacies for a drug prescription online. The good news is that the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy reports that the number of illegitimate online pharmacy operators is less than the number of legitimate online dispensing pharmacies. The following web page will give you the essential background on the online pharmacy industry and the information you need to ensure the pharmacy online is legitimate and a drug prescription online is safe.
Dispensing vs. Prescribing Online PharmacyA dispensing online pharmacy requires a prescription from you doctor to be submitted before providing you with a prescription-based drug. However, a prescribing online pharmacy only requires you to submit a medical questionnaire. The defining feature of the prescribing online pharmacy is that they provide you with consultation with a US board certified physician who will approve or reject your request for a prescription-based drug – consultation usual means a email or phone call.
With the physician’s approval, the prescribing pharmacy will also dispense your drug prescription online. This is an example of the type of disruptive change the Internet is having on modern living – you can now legally obtain a prescription-based drug without physically seeing a doctor. Some say this a change for the good, others say it for the worse. The real question is what do you think? If you obtain a drug prescription online - is it a legitimate new medical service?
What is a Legitimate Online Pharmacy?It depends who you ask! A pharmacy online that only dispenses medication are considered by the, FDA and National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) as the only potentially legitimate source for your drug prescription online (i.e. your prescription is prescribed by your own physician in a face-to-face examination). Most regulatory authorities and professional organizations regard online prescribing to be unprofessional - they firmly believe in the need of an in person client-doctor relationship. In some states it is illegal, unless it is done pursuant to a valid, ongoing patient-doctor relationship that has included an in-person physical examination. State boards of pharmacy, boards of medicine, the FDA, as well as the prestigious American Medical Association (AMA), condemn this practice and consider it to be unprofessional. Essentially, to these regulatory agencies completing only an online questionnaire does not establish a valid patient-doctor relationship. To obtain a drug prescription online this way is unethical in the opinion of the main regualtory medical associations. It is there position that without a physical examination you could receive inappropriate medication and worsen an underlying, undiagnosed, serious medical condition.
If you agree that a personal physical examination is important then your search for a legitimate pharmacy online is relatively easy. Certified Online Pharmacies - VIPPSThe pharmacy industry has established its own program
to certify online pharmacies.
In 1999, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) started the VerifiedInternet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program. Look for the VIPPS logo: VIPPS is a voluntary program and certifies an online pharmacy’s credentials, including maintenance of state licenses and inspection by NABP-sanctioned teams. Websites that are awarded VIPPS certification post the VIPPS seal and a link to the VIPPS website. The VIPPS program assures consumers that the online pharmacist is reputable . However, because the program is voluntary, only 13 sites are registered as of 7/26/07.
The Convenience Factor Save time!Convenience is a major advantage that online pharmacies provide over some of their pharmacy competitors.Your ability to order and receive medications without leaving your home is a tremendous time-saver. In addition, legitimate online pharmacies often offer valuable health care information in a searchable format. VIPPS-certified pharmacies are required to offer their customers free phone consultation with a pharmacist, and many offer free ask-a-pharmacist e-mail service as well. In addition, online pharmacies may provide more privacy than traditional brick-and-mortar pharmacies. Consumers who are too embarrassed to purchase certain medications or health care products from the local pharmacy may find greater anonymity by ordering these products from an e-pharmacy where staff may not be able to put a "face to a name."
Save Money - Cheaper prices from legitimate online pharmacies! Many pharmacies offer price comparisons between their charge and that of other legitimate pharmacies. This is one way to stretch your health care dollar. Many online pharmacies accept prescription benefit insurance coverage as well.
Online Prescribing-Pharmacy - Cutting Edge or Hoax?Clearly obtain a drug prescription online is controversial. But it is legal As mentioned above, in some states it is illegal, unless it is done pursuant to a valid, ongoing patient-doctor relationship that has included an in-person physical examination. Opposing the explicit warning from the FDA and National Association of Boards of Pharmacy against prescribing-pharmacies, is a group of pharmacists and physicians who "self-describe" themselves as innovators. This group of visionary’s claim that the Internet can play an important role in reducing a patients anxiety over an "embarrassing" medical condition. To these medical professionals prescribing drug prescriptions online has a place, but with limitations. The argument is that certain medical conditions warrant an internet-based consultation while others do not. At the same time proponents for providing a drug prescription online, say that the Internet-based consultation should never completely replace a face-to-face patient-doctor relationship. At this time there are no official resources available to guide consumers on what types of medication are better suited for obtaining drug prescriptions online. Allan Wenner, a Lexington, S.C. doctor, says that some conditions such as erectile dysfunction usually don't require a physical examination. This lack of information may suggest a sales pitch rather than a genuine argument, but this is the nature of innovation - evolution of an idea takes time.
Don't Get Fooled - Appearances Can DeceiveToday, visit any prescribing-pharmacy and you will read in the “about us” section of the website an idea that the company is dedicated to providing cutting-edge medicine through Internet technology. They will talk about the benefits:
Unfortunately, this checklist of "must have" is not sufficient to protect you for an online pharmacy scam. Some internet sites will advise you that this is all you need to be confident that you dealing with a legitimate online pharmacy. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here is a case study in point...The Kwikmed Story...
The Kwikmed 28 Million Prescription Fraud
Consider the Kwikmed Story: Kwikmed appeared to be a trustworthy prescribing pharmacy online. It had all elements of trust, including consultation with a US board certified physicians and standard pharmacy online claims (FDA Approved drugs, 1-800, ...etc). Like all prescription-pharmacies, Kwikmed did not require a consumer to have a prescription before receiving the drugs. Instead, the customers were required to complete a questionnaire, which the website told customers would be reviewed by a physician. Customers were charged a fee for this purported medical consultation. On October 1, 2002, a Federal Grand Jury in Arizona returned a 198 count indictment against Kwikmed, Inc. Four owners of the company, and two Physician's associated with the corporations pleaded guilty to a variety of felony charges. On October 2, 2003, William J. Clemans, a physician, pled guilty to five felonies for his involvement with the Internet Kwikmed website. In his plea, Clemans admitted that generally a physician did not review questionnaires before drugs were shipped to customers (information from FDA website). Obviously, Doctors can be guilty of crimes too.
Kwikmed Turnaround - From Chump to ChampToday if you visit Kwikmed you will see a complete turnaround under new management. In fact Kwikmed is the only legal source for men to obtain their lifestyle prescription online: For a dispensing Pharmacy for men lifestyle prescription drugs:
KwikMed is leading an effort to legitimize prescribing-pharmacies online. To legitimize Drug prescriptions online an extensive 20 minute questionnaire has been introduced. KwikMed is the only online prescription Web site in the U.S. that has won explicit approval from a state to operate as a prescribing online pharmacy, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. KwikMed says what sets it apart is that it does more than simply provide a perfunctory consultation with a doctor: Its physicians review an extensive online medical questionnaire that patients fill out. Each potential customer must fill out a 20-minute survey before KwikMed's doctors will write a prescription. Although many other Web sites have questionnaires, KwikMed convinced regulators that its form was more comprehensive than even the medical histories taken during a visit to a doctor's office. Unfortunately for women, KwikMed provides only 5 men lifestyle drugs including: Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, & Propecia. Regardess, Kwikmed Lessons can be applied for women’s health when you try to obtain a drug prescription online. The safety issues are the same.
Avoid the Big 3 Pharamcy Mistakes
If you buy medical products or obtain drug prescriptions online, be aware of the following dangers: Product Reliability & Potency: In an investigation released in June 2004, the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that some Web pharmacies ship counterfeit drugs or drugs that have not been stored properly, while other don't ship the drugs at all. For example, on February 4, 2004, FDA issued a warning
to the public about a foreign Internet site , www.rxpharmacy.ws,
selling counterfeit contraceptive patches through 3 USA websites:
www.usarxstore.com, www.europeanrxpharmacy.com, and www.generic.com..
These counterfeit patches contained no active ingredients and therefore
provide no protection against pregnancy. Product Safety: For example, in one high-profile case, 18-year-old
California high-school student Ryan Haight died in 2001 after taking
a mixture of narcotics that he purchased online.
Medical Judgment: Getting a prescription drug by filling out a questionnaire without seeing a doctor may pose serious health risks. Without verify the legitimacy of the doctor’s approval and the legitimacy of the pharmacy you may be playing Russian roulette with your health. Don’t be fooled by the appearance of a website - there is one critical piece of information that can give you the abilitiy to determine if the pharmacy online is reputable. How To Verify a Genuine Prescribing-Pharmacy Online
Many "rouge" online pharmacies will have a toll-free phone number and email contact, but lack the one piece of critical information you need to verify there legitimacy as a reputable pharmacy online.
The pharmacy online must have a street address posted on their site If the website does not post a physically address you should avoid them - you will discover that nearly all of the prescribing-pharamcies lack this critical information). The street address of the pharmacy online will provide you with the State/Province the pharmacy is operating in. This will allow you to begin a background check on the status of the pharmacy online with the local state board of pharmacy. Any such questions are best directed to your local state/province "Board of Pharmacy". If you live in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or South Africa follow this link to get the contact information on the local state/province "Board of Pharmacy in your area. Contact Your Boards Of Pharmacy Local Office Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (www.nabp.net, (847) 698-6227) to determine whether a Website is a licensed pharmacy in good standing. Don't buy from sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam (*this is the debate, it is only a warning, it is still legal to obtain a drug prescription online), sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved by FDA. Don't do business with sites that have no access to a registered pharmacist to answer questions. Avoid sites that do not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S. address and phone number to contact if there's a problem. Don't purchase from foreign Websites at this time because generally it will be illegal to import the drugs bought from these sites, the risks are greater, and there is very little the U.S. government can do if you get ripped off. Beware of sites that advertise a "new cure" for a serious disorder or a quick cure-all for a wide range of ailments. Be careful of sites that use impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of good science or those that claim the government, the medical profession, or research scientists have conspired to suppress a product. Steer clear of sites that include undocumented case histories claiming "amazing" results. Talk to your health-care professional before using any medications for the first time.
Consumers who suspect that a pharmacy online site
is illegal can report it to the FDA. Report
Illegal Pharmacy Online Sites & Drug Prescription Online Scams Don’t Become a Victim of Pharmacy Negligence:The 3 Steps You Must Take To Protect Yourself and Family... Regardless if you buy from your local pharmacist or favorite pharmacy online you must take responsibility for taking your own medication. This is especially true if you got a drug prescription online. This issue goes beyond the drug prescription online issue - it is a hig level issue regarding pharmacies in general. Unknown to the consumer, many times, it is not a pharmacist who fills their prescriptions, which can make a life or death difference. Today "pharmacy techs" who often barely have a high school education are filling traditional prescriptions and request from websites providing 100's prescriptions. Traditionally, pharmacies used to be operated solely be pharmacists however there has been a drastic change in pharmacy personnel. Now a pharmacy can employ as many as four pharmacy techs for every one pharmacist. Some studies indicate that as many as 5% of all prescriptions are incorrect either in dosage or type of medication. This is for all USA pharmacies, and not just for the online pharmacy and the drug prescription online issues that have been discussed on this webpage. Dave DePersio, a pharmacist at Vanderbilt says there are 3 things you can do to make sure you get the right prescription first:
Whether your interested in a drug prescription online prescription medication for:
you will get timely reports on significant changes with "pharmacy online" and "drug prescription online" policy and warnings from the FDA. The idea of a legitimate drug prescription online medical services is weighing in the balance - it can be a reality. Or it may soon become illegal to obtain a drug prescription online.
The regulation of online pharmacies and the extended drug perscription online service represents the essential problem with policing the internet. It is a new and evolving way of doing, living and thinking. The pharmacy online debate will only grow over time and you can make a difference with your voice - so if you feel strongly about the issue on way or the other get heard. If you have a strong opinion on your rights for/against obtaining a drug prescription online write your congressman.
Remember getting a drug prescription
online The convenience and money saving benefits of drug prescription online should not put your health at risk. Nothing can cost you more money and time if you lose your health when your drug prescription online is a con by a pharmacy online. Before you get your drug prescription online Act smart and make sure the pharmacy online has a physical address. Any attempt to obtain a drug prescription online should be completed when you can confirm that a doctor has throughly reviewed your medical history. You got the tools to recognize a certified pharmacy online and a drug prescription online scam - use them wisely! At the very least you now have the ability to recognize the essential elements of a legitamite pharmacy online. You can find a drug prescription online website and know that your drug prescription online choice is a safe and convenient option. Your body will thank-you with years of good health Ffor more information on finding a drug prescription online please browse the following related articles!
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