NACDS praises Congress for legislation combating illegal online Rx sales

ALEXANDRIA, Va. The passage of a bill targeting illegal online pharmacies drew praise from a trade organization representing retail pharmacies Wednesday.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores applauded the House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s passage of the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, introduced by Reps. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., Lamar Smith, R-Texas, and Mary Bono Mack, R-Calif.

The committee also amended the bill to draw a distinction between illegal sites and legitimate ones.

The representatives introduced the bill in July as joint legislation to the Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act in the Senate, introduced by Sens. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

Both bills are designed to stop the illegal sales of prescription drugs online. “It is absolutely essential that Congress and the administration take steps to curtail the selling of controlled substances online by ‘rogue’ Internet sites that masquerade as legitimate pharmacies,” NACDS president and chief executive officer Steve Anderson said in a letter to Rep. Stupak.