PhRMA Creates Drug Importation Information Website To Explain Risks, Offer Options
This article was originally published in The Pink Sheet Daily
Executive Summary
Trade group's new website, "www.buysafedrugs.info, serves as an "online research clearinghouse" linking to studies that describe risks of importing drugs. The site also links to assistance programs that help people pay for prescription drugs.
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The Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America has created a new website that links to studies describing the risks of importing prescription drugs. The website, 1 www.buysafedrugs.info, is the "first-ever online research clearinghouse so patients and consumers can learn first hand the opinions of experts on the dangers associated with importing medicines," PhRMA said June 21. Among the recent documents provided on the site are reports by the HHS Task Force on Drug Importation and Giuliani Partners. PhRMA commissioned the report by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; it was published in April. Many of the site's links lead to FDA documents, including warning letters to companies that have imported drugs, notifications to states that have tried to implement importation programs and consumer safety alerts. The site also links to government sites where consumers can report suspected counterfeit drugs (FDA's MedWatch), email spam promoting imported drugs (Federal Trade Commission) and suspected illegal pharmaceutical sites on the Internet (Drug Enforcement Administration). Web links to news articles and editorials that highlight the risks of using imported drugs also are available. The site further provides consumers with information on programs that help cover the cost of prescriptions as an alternative to importing drugs; links include Medicaid, Medicare (with information on the discount card and the upcoming drug benefit), and the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, PhRMA's online clearinghouse of patient assistance programs (2 (Also see "PhRMA Launches Rx Assistance Clearinghouse With National Ad Campaign" - Pink Sheet, 5 Apr, 2005.)). - Scott Steinke |