Tag Archives: .PHARMACY

Domain Name Disputes, Domain Name Registrants, Domain Name Registry, New gTLDs

ICANN Hits .PHARMACY With Breach Notice

ICANN has hit the operators of the .pharmacy new gTLD with a breach notice for their failure to operate the gTLD “in a transparent manner consistent with general principles of openness and non-discrimination by establishing, publishing and adhering to clear registration policies, as required by” their registry agreement.

ICANN also deemed the .pharmacy operator, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), was also non-compliant due to its “failure to publish on its website a primary contact for handling inquiries related to malicious conduct in the TLD feedback.” ICANN has given NABP until 11 August to “cure these breaches” or they’ll risk further sanctions, which could lead to termination of their right to operate the new gTLD.

NABP logoThe complaints came about following a complaint from Canada Wide Pharmacy, a Canadian online pharmacy who makes available medications to Americans at vastly reduced prices compared to the prices in America.

Canada Wide Pharmacy complained after they were refused a .pharmacy domain name and a Public Interest Commitment Dispute Resolution Procedure (PICDRP) Standing Panel found NABP to be in breach. The PICDRP Standing Panel voted 3-0 in favour of Canada Wide Pharmacy.

The result doesn’t mean Canada Wide Pharmacy will get their domain name, but they have made life uncomfortable for NABP.

Domain Name Registrants, Domain Name Registrars, New gTLDs

US Pharmacy Association Extends List of Not Recommended Websites, Pushes Use of .PHARMACY

The US National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) issued a report this week discussing the continued need to fight against illegal online drug sellers, as they contribute to the America’s prescription opioid epidemic.As noted in the Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: January 2016, the total number of websites classified as Not Recommended by NABP has grown to 10,668 due to the fact that the websites are selling prescription medications out of compliance with US state and federal laws and/or NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards. The Association has been collecting data on websites selling medicine in the United States since 2008.The need to educate consumers about the dangers of purchasing prescription drugs without a valid prescription is growing. Prescription opioid pain relievers are involved in more overdose deaths than any other opioid overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, prescription drugs remain common drugs of abuse. A recent study showed that Twitter, which is used by a third of teenagers and young adults, has become a popular way for rogue online drug sellers to share links to their websites. A significant percentage of the youth population has used prescription drugs non-medically, thus the Twitter connection is worrisome.Of the more than 10,668 Internet drug outlets identified by NABP as Not Recommended, just over 60% do not have a location posted on the website. It is important to note that many rogue pharmacies that do not post an address sell potentially dangerous counterfeit medications. More than 50% of rogue websites offer drugs that are either foreign or not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Further, 90% appear to have affiliations with rogue networks of Internet drug outlets.NABP strives to uphold the integrity of the practice of pharmacy – in any practice setting – to ensure that patients worldwide have access to safe and effective prescription drugs. The Association’s .Pharmacy Top-Level Domain (TLD) Program shows NABP’s commitment to making it easy for consumers to identify safe, legitimate online pharmacies. Simply looking at online drug seller websites and seeing .pharmacy will confirm that the information on the website is valid.Unlike a .com, only legitimate Internet pharmacies and pharmacy-related websites qualify for .pharmacy domains. As of December 31, 2015, NABP has granted approval for 351 domain names and 230 have been registered, including such high-profile pharmacies as CVS, Express Scripts, PetMed Express, Target, and Rite-Aid. The .pharmacy registered domains are made up of 185 pharmacies, 33 boards of pharmacy and regulatory agencies, six resource sites, four manufacturers, and two professional sites.More information about the .pharmacy TLD, including a list of approved entities with registered .pharmacy domain names, is available at www.safe.pharmacy.For the full report with detailed findings on the characteristics of rogue websites and the list of Not Recommended sites, visit the Acquire Safely section of www.AWARErx.pharmacy.

Domain Name Registrants

NABP Meets With Leaders Around the World to Collaborate on Solutions for Protecting Consumers From Illegal Online Drug Sellers

NABP logoToday, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) issued a report discussing the importance of international collaboration in the fight against illegal online drug sellers. As detailed in the Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program Progress Report for State and Federal Regulators: October 2015, there is widespread agreement among multiple countries that Internet sales of medicinal products pose a health risk to their citizens. Additionally, authorities have reported an increase in illegitimate Internet pharmacies, and many agree that international cooperation is critical to solving this expanding global phenomenon.

NABP remains committed to upholding the integrity of the practice of pharmacy – in any practice setting – and ensuring that patients worldwide have access to safe and effective prescription drugs. Since 2008, the Association has been collecting data on websites selling medicine illegally online to United States patients. NABP has reviewed over 11,000 Internet drug outlets, finding that 96.1% of the sites reviewed operate out of compliance with US pharmacy laws and practice standards, and identifying these sites as “Not Recommended.” Approximately 88% of Not Recommended sites are selling prescription drugs without requiring a valid prescription. Nearly 50% offer drugs that are either foreign, or not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Further, of the 10,588 Not Recommended sites, 90% can be traced to affiliate networks of rogue Internet drug outlets.

Guided by a global coalition of stakeholders, NABP’s .Pharmacy Top-Level Domain (TLD) Program exemplifies how countries can work together to keep consumers safe from such sites. Only legitimate Internet pharmacies and pharmacy-related websites will qualify for .pharmacy domains, giving consumers worldwide a way to distinguish safe and legal online pharmacies and resources from rogue sites. NABP has established relationships with regulators in multiple countries to review .pharmacy domain name applications for applicants located in or doing business in those countries. NABP continues to develop relationships and has participated in meetings of such international organizations as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Cebu, Philippines, and the International Pharmaceutical Federation World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2015 in Düsseldorf, Germany. During these meetings NABP representatives interacted with representatives from countries in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America, several of whom expressed interest in participating in the .Pharmacy TLD Program.

More information about the .pharmacy TLD, including a list of approved entities with registered .pharmacy domain names, is available at www.safe.pharmacy.

For the full report with detailed findings on the characteristics of rogue websites and the list of Not Recommended sites, visit www.AWARErx.org.

NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its state member boards and jurisdictions for the purpose of protecting the public health.

This news release was sourced from:
www.nabp.net/news/nabp-meets-with-leaders-around-the-world-to-collaborate-on-solutions-for-protecting-consumers-from-illegal-online-drug-sellers

Domain Name Registrants, Domain Name Registrars, Domain Name Registry, New gTLDs

NABP Launches .Pharmacy To Help Consumers Find Safe Pharmacies Online

[news release] The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) has launched the .pharmacy gTLD to provide consumers around the world a means for identifying safe, legal, and ethical online pharmacies and related resources. Of the tens of thousands of rogue sites selling prescription drugs online, NABP has reviewed over 10,800 and found that nearly 97% do not follow pharmacy laws and standards established to protect the public health.

With this in mind, NABP will grant use of the .pharmacy domain only to legitimate website operators that adhere to pharmacy laws in the jurisdictions in which they are based and in which their patients and customers reside, so that consumers can easily find safe online pharmacies.

The first registration phase for .pharmacy domain names will begin in November 2014. This date marks the start of the Sunrise Period – a preliminary, limited registration period for those trademark holders who have entered their trademarks into the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers Trademark Clearinghouse. During this period, trademark holders may apply to NABP for approval to register their trademark name as a .pharmacy domain.

Following the Sunrise Period, registration for .pharmacy domain names will be open to pharmacy websites that are accredited through the NABP Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites® (VIPPS®) and Veterinary-Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (Vet-VIPPS®) programs, as well as for pharmacy websites that have received approval through the NABP e-Advertiser Approval Program. These pharmacies and their websites have already undergone a thorough review process and established their compliance with NABP standards for legitimate online practice and are considered eligible to register a .pharmacy domain name.

Applications from other pharmacies seeking to register a .pharmacy domain name will be accepted beginning in early 2015. This phase will be followed by the general registration (or general availability) period, which will be open to any entity offering pharmacy-related products, services, or information that meets .pharmacy eligibility standards. Entities seeking a .pharmacy domain must first submit an application to NABP. Once approved, applicants will be able to register the domain through an approved registrar.

“Because rogue drug sellers continue to proliferate on the Internet, distributing dangerous counterfeit and substandard medications to consumers, the launch of the .pharmacy program is a significant step in protecting the public health, both in the US and other countries,” states NABP President Joseph L. Adams, RPh. “NABP is pleased to begin offering .pharmacy registration so that consumers can easily determine if the site they are using is an appropriately licensed, legitimate pharmacy operating in compliance with program and applicable regulatory standards.”

With the support of an international advisory committee, and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), NABP has developed policies and procedures to ensure that only websites dispensing legitimate medications and operating in a manner that is safe and lawful may use a .pharmacy domain name. The .pharmacy eligibility requirements were developed to address concerns shared by domestic and international stakeholders about illegal online drug sellers distributing products that endanger patient health worldwide.

Among the global coalition of stakeholders behind the .pharmacy initiative are the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies, Eli Lilly and Company, European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines, FIP, Food and Drug Administration, Gilead Sciences, Inc, INTERPOL, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc, LegitScript, Merck & Co, Inc, National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, Pfizer, and state boards of pharmacy.

More information about the .Pharmacy gTLD Program, as well as NABP’s most recent research on rogue online drug sellers is available at www.dotpharmacy.net.

NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its state member boards and jurisdictions for the purpose of protecting the public health.