As more Americans look to Canada for cheaper medicines, a company whose website is devoted to verifying prescription drugs sold by online pharmacies is suing five organizations, including two with ties to the pharmaceutical industry, for allegedly running a campaign to manipulate and suppress information available to consumers.
In its lawsuit, PharmacyChecker.com claims the groups, including the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, have essentially created a type of shadow regulation through private agreements with “key internet gatekeepers,” such as Google, to “choke off” information about importing medicines from online pharmacies in Canada and other countries.
The company argues that the groups, with backing from the pharmaceutical industry, work to cast doubt about the safety of purchasing medicines from online pharmacies. These groups and the “interests behind them benefit from higher U.S. drug prices, and they do not want competition from international pharmacies,” stated the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in White Plains, N.Y.
About the Author Reprints
To submit a correction request, please visit our Contact Us page.
STAT encourages you to share your voice. We welcome your commentary, criticism, and expertise on our subscriber-only platform, STAT+ Connect