International VIPPS Program to be Launched by NABP

In order to help meet the growing threat posed by rogue Internet pharmacy sites operating from outside the United States, the Association's Executive Committee has endorsed a plan to work with the licensing authorities in participating foreign countries to certify online pharmacies located within their jurisdictions.

Based on NABP's successful Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (VIPPS™) program, the new International VIPPS program will utilize the same core criteria and policies to certify candidate Web sites. However, the review of relevant licensure, site inspections, and other criteria verification performed by NABP in the US will be conducted by the participating foreign licensing authority.

The new program will also offer a separate interface to foreign Internet users from the existing VIPPS pages. Users wishing to verify an international certified Web site will click on the VIPPS "Click To Verify" seal, and be instantly linked to a series of VIPPS Web site pages that list information about that country's specific requirements, and about online pharmacies certified in that particular nation. International VIPPS Web pages are currently under development by NABP.

So far, licensing authorities from Australia, Canada, and New Zealand have expressed interest in participating in the VIPPS program. It is expected the new VIPPS program will go live on the Internet during the fourth quarter of this year. For more information regarding VIPPS, please call NABP's Licensure Programs Department at 847/698-6227, or e-mail via vipps@nabp.net.

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