ABC News article only tells part of the story
posted Fri, 27 Jan 2012ABC News ran an article about SOPA's role in shutting down illegal online pharmacies yesterday. The piece caught our attention because it doesn't acknowledge the fact that the proposed anti-piracy legislation would use a shotgun approach to target ALL non-US pharmacy websites, regardless of their legitimacy or value to US consumers.
While we agree that American consumers and businesses need to be protected from rogue websites, it is imperative to point out that there are safe, legitimate international online pharmacies that Americans would lose access to if the Stop Online Piracy Act or PROTECT IP (sister legislation in the Senate) are passed. This is because the bills inappropriately group real online pharmacies — licensed pharmacies that require a doctor’s prescription and sell brand-name medications — with the rogues that sell everything from diluted or counterfeit medicine to narcotics without a prescription.
Pharmacies accredited through organizations such as the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, Pharmacy Accreditation Services and PharmacyChecker.com are the ‘real deal.’ They adhere to strict safety standards, including requiring a valid doctor’s prescription, having a licensed pharmacist on staff and having a physician review patient information before authorizing a prescription.
Americans can't afford the exorbitant costs of prescription drugs in the U.S. and, therefore, can't afford to lose access to the legitimate international online pharmacies they depend on for the medications they need to survive. SOPA and PIPA would cut off the virtual lifeline to affordable medicine for more than 90,000 Floridians alone.
We were glad to see the powerful impact last week’s Internet blackout had on these overly broad bills. The blackout and corresponding public outcry have halted the progress of SOPA and PIPA, at least for now.