|
CanadaDrugs.com in Winnipeg, Manitoba is the first mailorder pharmacy to be accredited by the Internet and
Mailorder Pharmacy Accreditation Commission (IMPAC™). CanadaDrugs.com is a mailorder pharmacy that processes
prescriptions seven days a week to consumers in Canada and the United States.
CanadaDrugs.com was fully accredited on Tuesday June 17th, 2003. According to Robert Fraser, B.Sc.(Pharm),
Director of Pharmacy, CanadaDrugs.com decided to be accredited to help consumers discern quality providers.
“IMPAC™ accreditation confirms CanadaDrugs.com’s adherence to a very detailed, recognized quality assurance
program through its policies, procedures, business practices, and the provision of high quality, safe and
affordable drugs.”
IMPAC™ accreditation means a mailorder pharmacy is in full compliance with 8 core standards and 91 required
quality elements. With IMPAC™ accreditation, the pharmacy has earned the right to put the IMPAC™ seal on their
website. The name of the mailorder pharmacy will also appear on IMPAC’s list of accredited pharmacies on the
website of NorthAmerican-Pharmotherapeutic Consultants Association, www.na-pca.org. Fraser notes “Fully
accredited mailorder pharmacies that have met all of these standards will increase consumer confidence regarding
quality, as well as help validate and strengthen the industry.”
Accreditation also allows the mailorder pharmacy to use non-counterfeitable seals on their packaging of
prescriptions drugs. This seal will be easily recognizable by the post office, government agencies and consumers
so that they are assured that the package is from an accredited pharmacy.
According to IMPAC's Executive Director, Jennifer Fels, R.N., M.S., “the survey is a very comprehensive and
rigorous evaluation which will separate those pharmacies working to provide high quality, from those that do not
have excellent clinical and operational processes in place.” To determine accreditation, the mailorder pharmacy
undergoes an intensive on-site, two day survey by trained surveyors which includes a pharmacist on the survey
team.
IMPAC™ surveyors conduct pharmacy staff interviews, evaluate pharmacy operations, inspect the physical facility
and critically review documents, internal policies, and human resource files. There must be full compliance to
all standards. IMPAC’s comprehensive standards encompass quality assurance, pharmacy management, confidentiality,
consumer safety, customer satisfaction, health information technology, website content, shipping and handling,
and customer call center functions.
Fels strongly advises that “consumers take a buyer beware approach. It behooves persons searching the internet
for mailorder pharmacies to know what quality measures the pharmacy is making on behalf of the customer, before
making purchase is even considered”. Fels further recommends that potential mailorder pharmacy consumers check
the www.na-pac.org website, to determine if a pharmacy has been accredited.
IMPAC™ was developed in response to concerns expressed by consumers and the government about the quality and
safety of prescription drugs from mailorder pharmacies. “Before IMPAC™ was created, there was no assurance to
consumers, physicians, regulators and insurers that any mailorder pharmacy met a set of established quality
standards, whether the pharmacy was located in the United States, Mexico or Canada” notes Fels. IMPAC™
accreditation is available to mailorder pharmacies internationally.
IMPAC™ is endorsed by NorthAmerican-Pharmotherapeutic Consultants Association (NorthAmerican-PCA), which is an
international, professional association of physicians and pharmacists. NorthAmerican-PCA was established to
support collaboration between Canada, Mexico and the United States on pharmotherapeutic management and economics,
to promote access to affordable prescription drugs, and to promote quality standards for mailorder pharmacies.
Executive Director of NorthAmerican-PCA, Dana Noble, RN., MBA states “as a professional association, we believe
that physicians and pharmacists should take the lead on setting standards of pharmotherapeutic management, and
holding our colleagues accountable to the highest clinical practices.”
“I applaud IMPAC™. It’s a shame, but not surprising that this private effort – like that which IMPAC™ leads – are
way ahead of our own federal agencies that are sworn to protect the health and safety of the American people.”
Congressman Gil Gutknecht (R-MN).
|
Close Window