Many Online Canadian Pharmacies Do Not Ensure Consumer Safety, Privacy, Study Finds

Many Canadian online pharmacies fail to ensure customer safety and privacy and may be operating without a pharmacy license, according to a study conducted by PharmacyChecker.com, the Wall Street Journal reports. PharmacyChecker.com, an independent research firm that evaluates online pharmacies and compares prices, in September surveyed 20 Canadian online pharmacies that came up as the first Web sites listed in a Google search for Canadian pharmacies that ship prescriptions to U.S. customers, the Journal reports. The study found that 70% of surveyed pharmacies did not meet researchers' criteria for protecting consumer safety and privacy, providing reliable contact information, ensuring privacy of information or offering secure financial transactions. The study also found that 30% of surveyed pharmacies had no verifiable affiliation with a licensed pharmacy and declined to provide information about who dispensed their drugs. Six of the 20 sites met the group's guidelines for safety and privacy, and all of those were online extensions of existing licensed pharmacies. According to the Journal, PharmacyChecker.com President Tod Cooperman said that some online pharmacies may not want to provide supplier information because of the "controversy on both sides of the border" about the sale of prescription drugs to U.S. customers from Canadian pharmacies. However, he also noted that online pharmacies may be obtaining drugs illegally from offshore sources or wholesalers (Carlisle, Wall Street Journal, 11/6).