CIPA Safe List Offers Peace Of Mind To Prescription Drug Purchasers

CIPA launches Canadian Internet pharmacy Safe List" to ensure U.S. consumers have access to affordable, legitimate prescription drugs

(PRWEB) October 24, 2004 -- Seniors, the uninsured and other U.S. consumers can buy prescription drugs online without fear thanks to a new Safe List" released by the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA). Until now, U.S. consumers had no central authority to confirm that an Internet pharmacy is legitimate.

Available online at http://www.ciparx.ca/cipa_pharmacies.html, CIPAs Safe List" serves as a central referral source. Patients can shop for medications with peace of mind because the list only links to licensed, CIPA-certified Canadian pharmacies.

According to CIPA executive director David MacKay, The FDA and big pharma have attempted to scare consumers by alleging that purchasing drugs online is a "buyers beware" experience - that safety can never be guaranteed, especially when ordering from Canada. In reality, however, there is little difference between a CIPA-certified pharmacy and your local pharmacy."

CIPA verifies each members provincial pharmacy license and ensures it complies with rigorous quality standards. For example, all drugs must be HPFB approved and carry a D.I.N. number to prove theyre not shipped from another country. In addition, there are strict policies regarding patient disclosure about a drugs country of origin.

CIPA created the Safe List" because consumers needed a credible method to distinguish between legitimate and dubious online pharmacies. No U.S. agency, including the FDA, has accepted the challenge.

"If the FDA will not guide its own citizens to credible, alternative sources, then we will do it for them. The time has come for patients to discover the truth -- they can have affordable medications without sacrificing well-being," adds MacKay.

Although CIPA pharmacies risk reprisal from pharmaceutical manufacturers, they believe that delivering patient benefit outweighs the potential risk.

The Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) is a non-profit trade association created in 2002 to represent leading Canadian mail order pharmacies. It ensures members adhere to the highest standards of practice, as well as supports their growth and viability. Located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, CIPA conducts government and media relations for the online pharmacy industry and has testified in front of the U.S. Congress and HHS Task Force. CIPA is recognized as the Canadian mail order pharmacy trade authority.

For more information, visit http://www.ciparx.ca and click "Our CIPA Pharmacies."

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