Vountary VIPPS Program Successfully Launched

NABP Executive Committee Chairman Kevin Kinkade called Wednesday, September 15, 1999, "truly a great day," as he presented the first Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites™ (VIPPS™) certifications to drugstore.com, Merck-Medco Rx Services, and PlanetRx.com, during a ceremony and press conference in Chicago, Illinois.

Applauded for their voluntary participation in a program that combines strict licensing and compliance requirements, a rigorous 17-point pharmacy practice criteria, and a successful site visit by a trained VIPPS inspection team, were representatives from the three companies:

• Matthew Naythons, MD, vice president, editorial, of planetRx.com of San Francisco, California;
• Steve Gold, vice president for e-commerce, strategy, and delivery for Nevada-based Merck-Medco RxServices; and
• Mark Silverman, vice president, business development and general counsel, for drugstore.com of Bellevue, Washington.

"The VIPPS program represents a new, valuable resource to both consumers and industry," Kinkade said as he presented the certifications. "By assisting the consumer in identifying those on-line pharmacies that are appropriately licensed and qualified to practice pharmacy, the VIPPS program will serve to advance the reliability of this new medium."

The VIPPS certification program was developed earlier this year to provide consumers with reliable information about the companies practicing pharmacy on the Internet. A recent count of on-line pharmacies by NABP staff found at least 300 such sites, many of which do not conform to the legitimate practices advanced by the VIPPS program.

"As more consumers turn to the Internet as a convenient shopping alternative, the risk for exposure to deception and dangerous scams increases," Kinkade noted. "There is particular concern among the elderly population, which is often the target of unscrupulous marketing ploys. VIPPS will be of tremendous benefit to consumers who need to be certain that the prescription medications they receive are from legitimate on-line pharmacies."

The newly-certified on-line pharmacies are now authorized to display the VIPPS seal on their home page. The seal is an active link that allows consumers access to NABP's VIPPS database of helpful, basic information about on-line pharmacies. The database can also be accessed directly via NABP's VIPPS page at www.nabp.net/vipps/consumer/search.asp.

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