Online Pharmacy & Drug News

The case for using online pharmacies has become more compelling with the recent publication of a report that quantifies the savings available.  Pharmacy Checker (www.PharmacyChecker.com ) and independent online pharmacy ratings agency, has published a free online report that shows the savings available on popular brand and generic drugs when they are bought online.

Pharmacy Checker confirms that savings are available from online pharmacies both within the US and offshore.  However an analysis of the top ten pharmaceutical brands sold in the USA in 2007 shows that the average saving offered by a US online pharmacies was 19% whereas it was over 70% was if the same products were bought from and international online pharmacy.

This should be of interest to the 47 million Americans who are uninsured and the 25 million who are underinsured.   Even those with drug coverage can face exorbitant co-pays to get the products they want. Some studies have shown that people without drug coverage can skip doses, stop taking medication altogether, or switch to less expensive (and less effective) OTC alternatives. 

Anyone with access to a computer should be able buy quality brand and generic drugs from online pharmacies with confidence.   There are still many rogue pharmacy websites which must be avoided, however consumers can have confidence in online pharmacies that have been checked and verified by a recognized 3^rd party accreditation agency like Pharmacy Checker.  While it is not technically legal for Americans to import drugs by placing an order with an overseas online pharmacy, the FDA has adopted a policy of not intercepting prescription drug imports for personal use, so long as the supply is for 90 days or less and does not include controlled drugs. 

In 2006 health care spending in the US rose to $7,026 per US citizen.  An alarming 16 percent of the US gross domestic product!   

This is why the President Elect will be focusing on all areas of the US health care system, including the high cost of medicines compared to the rest of the western world.  Obama has made it clear that he wants a health care system that is affordable and is accessible to everyone. 

Pharmaceutical business analysts believe that Obama’s win will mean that there will be a change in policy to allow for the re-importation of many drugs.  This may also include speeding up regulatory pathway for bio-generics.   Although bio-generics are already manufactured in Europe and India, there is no pathway for regulatory approval in the U.S., which is stalling their introduction into the lucrative U.S. market.

The result of the recent Presidential election means that lawmakers will move quickly on drug reimportation legislation.  This will allow drugs produced by U.S. manufacturers then and sold into Canada and Europe to be reimported back into the U.S. by patients.   This is the prediction of  John Manthei, global co-chair of the health care and life sciences practice at the Washington law firm Latham & Watkins LLP.  Manthei makes this prediction because President-Elect Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has previously shown support for the legislation.

Manthei also thinks there will be more achieved in the health care focused committees in the Senate with Sen. Hillary Clinton now able to focus on these issues without the distraction of presidential campaign.   This has effectively taken her away from health where she has tremendous interest and expertise.

America’s President in waiting has declared war on an industry that is bleeding the nation dry. He has the cost of drugs at the top of his agenda which is why the stock prices of many of the powerful companies in the industry (Pfizer, Merck and Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline) are falling further than other stocks.

With “President Obama” will come a serious discussion about socializing the nations drug supply.   The current system simply is not working with American expenditure per head on healthcare double the amount in Britain and a large part of that is related to the cost of drugs.

On average, for the same drug, an Americans pays twice as much as someone in the UK. While American insurers pick up a great deal of the bill the lack of efficiency is a problem.   Despite the insurance system, over 45% of healthcare costs are carried by the American taxpayer.

According to polls, healthcare costs are a bigger issue than Iraq for most Americans, hardly surprising given that it affects a greater number. Many pensioners fly to Canada in search of cheaper prescription medicine while others use the Internet to access online pharmacies most of which offer drugs from other countries at much lower prices.   In his campaigning Senator Obama said he supported drug imports but he also wants to fix the underlying problems causing the price disparity that exist between America and other countries

Of course the drug giants argue that without their US profits, research and development of new medicines will slow. It is true that the industry reinvests more of its sales revenue than most back into R&D however its problem is that innovative drugs with high sales potential are simply not emerging.

Both Democratic and Republican presidential nominees support prescription drug reimportation from other nations. 
A Obama campaign advsior said, “We have not changed our position on this issue, but obviously there have been concerns about countries like China,” adding, “Our plan does not envision importing drugs from China , but from countries with strong records of safety, like Canada and Europe.”

A McCain campaign spokesperson said  McCain understands the need to have a properly documented prescription drug supply chain.  McCain would require all medications from other nations to “meet state and federal standards for safety.   This would require additional funds to ensure the safety of such medications.  FDA Director Janet Woodcock said that the agency would require $225 million in additional funds to inspect such medications (CQ HealthBeat, 10/27).

All products listed on www.MedStoreInternational.com are from developed western countries with strong drug regulatory agencies and/or from FDA approved manufacturing facilities.

One of the last things President George W. Bush did was sign into law bi-partisan legislation that provides Web companies to take rogue Internet pharmacies offline. The legislation is aimed at stopping rogue pharmacies from operating online and helping to prevent the purchase of drugs without a valid

The new law requires online pharmacies to comply with laws of the state in which they do business.  It also allows federal agencies to provide web hosts with lists of legally approved online pharmacies.   This information allows web hosting companies to more quickly identify illegal online pharmacies.

The number of visitors to online pharmacies almost tripled last year.  The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) found that 61% of these online pharmacies offer foreign drugs which are not approved by the US FDA and so are technically not legal to sell in the US.  It also reports 97% of these sites are operating out of compliance with state and federal laws. For instance, 93% do not require a valid prescription and 25% do not secure patients’ personal information.   

As of October 2008, NABP has assessed more than 1,000 Internet drug outlets and these are listed on the NABP Web site, www.nabp.net/ip.asp. However the number of visits to online pharmacies is on the rise. The report cites 99,000 visitors to Internet drug outlets by the second quarter of 2008, compared to 32,000 visitors by the same time last year.  

So how do shoppers ensure the are dealing with and online pharmacy that is safe and secure?  The FDA advises people to use Internet pharmacies that are accredited through the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program. However this accreditation is only available to US pharmacies so the savings that shoppers are looking for will probably not be available at these online pharmacies.   

A site that does verify both US and non US online pharmacies is Pharmacy Checker (www.PharmacyChecker.com).   The Pharmacy Checker verification program is available to online pharmacy sites worldwide.  Established in 2003, it helps consumers find online pharmacies that sells prescription drugs dispensed from a licensed pharmacy in good standing.

Cymbalta is a prescription drug that is commonly used to treat depression, fibromyalgia, generalized anxiety disorder and diabetic nerve pain, but it is now being tested against claims that it helps to ease chronic pain in the lower back.

A recent study has been presented in Madrid at the 12th congress of the European Federation of Neurological Sciences, which took place between 23-26 August this year.

The study was based on testing adults who experience chronic lower back pain but weren’t depressed. There were 236 adults involved in the study, where some were given Cymbalta and some were prescribed a placebo during the 13-week study period. These drugs were prescribed daily.

Weekly pain scores were taken from each of the groups before and after the Cymbalta study. During the study, it was shown that those taking the Cymbalta drug saw great improvements in their back pain, more than those taking the placebos.

A second study was undertaken that showed no significance between those taking Cymbalta and those taking placebos. Again the study was carried out across a m13-week period, but on this occasion patients taking Cymbalta only experienced greater improvements in pain levels from weeks three to eleven, where there was no significant difference in other weeks.

The difference in outcomes of the two studies may be down to the difference in dosage of Cymbalta administered to patients. The first study, in which there was a greater significance in reduced pain of those taking Cymbalta, used 60 or 120 milligram doses of the drug, or a placebo. The second study, that showed no significant differences in pain, included a lower dose of 20 milligrams as well as the 60 and 120 milligram doses and the placebo.

Both studies showed certain side effects which were expected and in line with past studies of Cymbalta. Further study will be needed to determine whether Cymbalta proves successful in improving chronic lower back pain.

It has been shown that the blood pressure drug Diovan, also known as valsartan, is able to safely lower blood pressure in children of ages 1-5. Blood pressure is also known as hypertension, and is very rare in children of this age; it is often caused by secondary causes or kidney disease. In a recent study, results were shown to be successful without causing any adverse effects in the children being tested.

The study, funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals, involved 90 children whose hypertension was mostly down to kidney disease, where the average age of the children being tested was 3 years. The children were given different doses of Diovan, and some were prescribed placebos. All of the Diovan given to the children was well-tolerated, with a very low rate of side-effects and few differences in results between those given Diovan and those given placebos.

The study also showed that Diovan successfully lowered the blood pressure of the children tested by a significant amount. Amongst effects tested were effects on growth, gaining weight, and head circumference, all of which incurred no negative changes after the use of Diovan.

A recent research study has reassured users of the drug Arimidex that there have been no mental effects seen as a result of using the drug.

The drug has been used by women to prevent breast cancer. The drug belongs to a class of drugs known as aromatase, which block the production of estrogen. The main concern with the usage of this class of drugs is that reduction in the levels of estrogen may impair certain mental abilities in women.

However, British research has shown that the drug Arimidex has had no such effect. Many post-menopausal women were tested either taking Arimidex or a placebo and the results showed no increased effect in the women taking Arimidex. The drug has been used by women at a high risk of breast cancer after reaching menopause.

The tests ran over a 24-month period and provide welcome news to those using the drug. The research shows that drops in estrogen levels are less effective on mental capacity on post-menopausal women than women of a younger age. Arimidex is still being used to successfully reduce the chances of breast cancer in women who are at a high risk.