There’s good news and bad news in the world of prescription drugs according to the FDA. The good news is that seniors, a group that used to be a prime target for online pharmacy scams have been displaced thanks in part to the fact that the Medicare drug program has made them less attractive. The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) began shrinking the donut hole (that spot when a patient’s Medicare drug plan has paid $2,840 for covered drugs and the senior becomes responsible for the next $3,700 in drug costs) in 2011. This year, individuals with Part D drug coverage are getting a 50 percent discount and by 2020, the hole will disappear.
The bad news is that of course if seniors are no longer the favorite victim of online pharmacy scams, someone else must be. A new public awareness campaign launched by the FDA charges that less than three percent of online pharmacies meet U.S.standards and as a result the FDA has created an online resource to stop the prevalence of fake pharmacies and grow Americans’ awareness of the dangers of buying prescription drugs online.
BeSafeRx-Know Your Online Pharmacy is a tool to help patients and caregivers better understand who is selling them their medications and to make sure the medications they receive match their prescriptions. The new tool helps individuals know the signs of a fraudulent online pharmacy and can help consumers avoid computer viruses and other scams that can be a part of doing business with them.
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