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Mail Order Pharmacy Laws

Mail order pharmacies are growing in popularity not necessarily because of customer demand, but due to their convenience of online shopping as well as their association with various insurance companies that provide their services on the Web. Online pharmacies, as they are also called, have their own risks though, so laws have been implemented to regulate the trade and business of selling drugs on the Internet.

  1. Benefits

    • Online pharmacies have many advantages for both providers and consumers. Sellers get to be linked with other companies related to the health care industry, such as insurance firms and online consultations. Consumers, meanwhile, enjoy anonymity in purchasing medicines, cheaper prices and convenient at-home shopping.

    Risks

    • Since mail order pharmacies hold their businesses online, the presentation of prescriptions is sometimes not required, thus opening opportunities for people to become addicted to certain medications due to the availability in the market. The prices in online pharmacies also change quickly. Some pharmacies also tend to sell drugs that are not released through licensed outlets. There is also the high risk of purchasing expired drugs distributed by phony online sellers who do not provide adequate contact information.

    Legislation

    • Among the most prominent mail order pharmacy laws include the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, which controls the business of online pharmacy by a making controlled substance "unambiguous that it is a per se violation of the Controlled Substances Act for a practitioner to issue prescription for a controlled substance by means of the Internet without having conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation."

    Considerations

    • Other laws that have equal significance in online pharmacies are the Community Pharmacy Fairness Act (HR 971), which restrains the power of online pharmacies and gives greater leverage to independent drugstores in terms of negotiation terms and reimbursement rates for purchased drugs. The State of Illinois also enacted an HMO reform bill which prohibits health insurance companies from preferring certain pharmacies, such as mail order drugstores, by regulating the amount of drugs dispensed at each one-time purchase.

    Potential

    • Online pharmacies have provided a better way of purchasing drugs as they ensure convenience, privacy and affordability to their target market. However, better laws are also needed to provide adequate security in the pharmacy business. Tougher laws help prevent the spread of drug addiction and at the same time promote fair trade among the different types of pharmacies.

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