The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) provides a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program, which provides consumers valuable information about the credentials of online pharmacies.

VIPPS is a voluntary certification program. The fairly rigid conditions the online pharmacy must agree to for acceptance into the program include:

maintaining all state licenses in good standing

allowing information about the pharmacy to be posted and maintained on the VIPPS Website (<http://www.nabp.net/vipps/intro.asp>)

allowing an NABP-sanctioned team to inspect its operations, given reasonable notice

displaying and maintaining the VIPPS seal with a link to the VIPPS Website.

VIPPS officials say the program is especially beneficial to seniors. "There is particular concern among the elderly population, which is often the target of unscrupulous marketing ploys," says Kevin Kinkade, NABP executive committee chairman. "VIPPS will be of tremendous benefit to consumers who need to be certain that the prescription medications they receive are from legitimate online pharmacies." At press time, three businesses had been awarded VIPPS certification: drugstore.com, Merck-Medco Rx Services, and PlanetRx.com.

Consumers need to know the risks of buying prescription drugs online so they can remain vigilant," says FDA's Shuren, " The public also needs to know," he adds, "that there's a price to pay for operating an illegal Internet pharmacy. Even bringing a few highly publicized cases into the public eye will send a powerful message that these illegal sites will not be tolerated."

FDA offers these tips to consumers who buy health products online:

Check with the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to determine if the site is a licensed pharmacy in good standing (visit the Website at www.nabp.net <http://www.nabp.net/>, or call 847-698-6227).

Don't buy from sites that offer to prescribe a prescription drug for the first time without a physical exam, sell a prescription drug without a prescription, or sell drugs not approved by FDA.

Don't do business with sites that do not provide access to a registered pharmacist to answer questions.

Avoid sites that do not identify with whom you are dealing and do not provide a U.S. address and phone number to contact if there's a problem.

Beware of sites that advertise a "new cure" for a serious disorder or a quick cure-all for a wide range of ailments.

Be careful of sites that use impressive-sounding terminology to disguise a lack of good science or those that claim the government, the medical profession, or research scientists have conspired to suppress a product.

Steer clear of sites that include undocumented case histories claiming "amazing" results.

Talk to your health-care professional before using any medication for the first time.

If you suspect a site is illegal, you can report it to FDA by sending an e-mail to webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov <mailto:webcomplaints@ora.fda.gov>.