Pharmacy Shark Patrol - Online Pharmacy Watchdog

MEDICAL SPAM PUSHERS

2006-09-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

Dangerous medical spam is on the increase, thanks to legions of consumers who buy drugs from it.

Noticed how your inbox is filling up, rammed more than ever with medical spam, mostly of the erection-enhancing variety? Friends and colleagues all report the same problem, an unheralded deluge of the stuff in the past few months. It’s not just a blood-pressuring annoyance: doctors and regulators are warning that it’s an increasingly dangerous business.

Researchers are all saying the same thing - it’s our fault. People are buying things in response to being spammed. Just like junk mail, the spammers do it because it makes money. Recipients buy tablets for sexual performance, weight loss and body building.

It seems hard to believe that people actually send spammers money, but a recent survey in Network Computing claims that out of every 150 people who click on a spam drug e-mail, one buys something.

The problem has reached such proportions that doctors now ask patients whether they are taking medicines purchased online. One subscriber to Pharmacy Shark Patrol, JS from Ohio purchased a packet of Viagra-type erection pills that didn’t even match the unknown internet vendor’s original description. JS said "I bought ‘Viagra’ and I was sent Kamagra. I had no problem with the pills, though.”

JS was very lucky. The Pharmacy Shark Patrol (PSP), has spent years researching for trusted online pharmacies who delivery on time, with no cheating. In addition Pharmacy Shark Patrol obtains significant feedback from subscribers, online affiliate publishers and pharmacies themselves. There are always pricing issues, missed deliveries or quality checks that require PSP follow up on behalf of subscribers.

Some unscrupulous operators use fake pills. Robbie from UK mentions one of the Euro drug sellers online and thought it was "..wicked as the price was good. No joy. I was really sick and was in so much pain. I went to the doctor and he said that it wasn’t that dangerous, but it was some sort of filler that has really bad side-effects and may in the long term be bad for me; he told me to stop taking them (not that he needed to tell me).” Robbie, purchased from a pharmacy with a name closely resembling a well established pharmacy.

The bottomline - if you need to buy online at least checkout the credentials of the seller. Subscribe to Pharmacy Shark Patrol, it is free to join, research the PSP archives, view the lists of top online pharmacies and their performance ratings. Also, check out the avoid list of pharmacies. PSP lists the better pharmacies that will most closely replace the products sought from the avoid listed pharmacies.

Affiliate Support with Online Pharmacies.

2006-08-15T20:03:00.000-07:00

It is good to see a responsible online pharmacy keeping its affiliates informed. See email below.
Also it is disturbing that hackers do such attacks to blackmail online businesses.

OPSecure Billing http://best-rx.com/affiliates.html are showing a determination to provide good service in both short term and most importantly the long term.

No longer accepting orders from call centers is a good move for online affiliates as chargebacks can close a business and leave us with out a supplier. It is a lot of time and money to build a great customer base and if a company closes then all that work is gone. So we invest our efforts with the companies that take a longer and constructive view of our working relationship.

The focus on non controlled lifestyle meds is a move that will support long term viability and therefore reliable income. This is also a great advantage in programs that offer life time customers.

Mel
DrugstoreBestBuys

Below is copy of their email
Subject Incident on August 10th

Dear Affiliate,

Last Thursday 08/10/2006 we were attacked by a DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service). The hacker wanted US$10,000.00 to stop the attack. Not sure who in their right mind will accept this.

We had to pay a lot more to a company that specializes in protecting from this type of attacks and our service was restore at 10pm of that day. We were attacked again at 5am of the other day as the hacker figure out a way to bypass the protection. We put filters in place on our server so that the traffic is only accepted from the protection provider.

Some affiliates alerted us that they were not able to access our sites.
We figured out that there was a problem with the filters and that was corrected Yesterday. For some of you it might have seem that we were down for several days but if you check your stats you should see that it was business as usual.

Please also note that the high number of declines you see on your stats is due to some customers trying several times once they get the credit card decline message. You can verify this by looking at each order as you can see the name of the customer. Another reason is that we do AVS (Address Verification) and the billing address must match exactly as on the customer's billing statements.

We had big problems in the past due to charge backs introduced primarily by call centers. In order to reduce fraud we do not accept call centers and we put this measures in place. Charge backs can get you out of business.

We apologize for the inconveniences and rest assured that we are doing the best we can to provide you with the best.

We have started to drastically drop your base prices on non-controlled meds, starting with the most popular ones.

We are working on three new programs: non-controlled only, controlled diet pills with prior prescription and travel program with SYOP. We will make the announcements when the programs are ready.

Thanks for your business

Best Regards,
Frank Myers
Affiliate Support

Pharmacy Survey - USmed go or no go?

2006-07-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

DrugStoreBestBuys.com is a well regarding pharmacy comparison shopping site. The independent ratings for online pharmacies is based on years of customer feedback, experience of delivery issues and completed survey feedback.

Often completed surveys, in addition to feedback on established sites, will include a question on a newly discovered website. A typical pharmacy feedback survey received by the Pharmacy Shark Patrol just yesterday states "I came across the site usmedcenter.com and cannot seem to find any information about whether it is good, bad, legitimate, etc. Will you soon have it on your site? Thank you."

Here is the Pharmacy Shark Patrol's (PSP) response.

"Thank you for filling in our survey. usmedcenter.com are not on our lists as they appear to be a template site for Frontier Pharmacies who are on Subscription pharmacies warning page. http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/resources/scam.htm

USMedCentre.com site has insufficient contact information and we receive many non delivery complaints about Frontier Pharmacies.

I suggest you avoid placing an order there.

Please refer to http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/onlinepharmacieslist.htm to select a supplier.

If you are having difficulty finding a reliable supplier for a particular item please let me know.
I should be able to source a reliable supplier for you."

The number of internet scams are very high and could threaten your ability to find a bargain online. The traditional advertising media has declarede war on the internet advertisers and the main arsenal they are using is to scare people from using the internet so that they can hang on to their traditional advertising business and stop the drift to internet advertising.

To counter the distructive practise of internet bashing, DrugStoreBestBuys.com has placed years of research at the disposal of consumers who want to save money and buy their medication needs online. You only need to read the huge number of satisfied pharmacy customer testimonials to realise how much you can save in money and headaches, by reviewing the FREE to you research provided on the pages of DrugStoreBestBuys.com.

Where can you find Generic Viagra?

2006-07-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

Twelve Chinese pharma companies are now appealing a court ruling that sides with Pfizer and prevents local drugmakers from selling generic versions of Viagra (sildfenafil citrate), a Chinese state-run newspaper said on Tuesday.

The companies filed the appeal on Monday at Beijing’s High People’s Court, calling for a reversal of the June 5 decision by a lower court to uphold Pfizer’s patent for the impotence drug, the China Daily said.

No date has been set for a hearing of the case, which many view as a litmus test for whether China is committed to protecting intellectual property rights, part of the agreement it made when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001.

Up to 15 pharmaceutical companies have circumvented the Pfizer Viagra patent in India, by producing their ED pills using a different process, but incorporating the same active ingrediants.
Not just for sildenafil citrate, but also for Vardenafil which is branded Levitra by GlaxoSmithKline and Tadalafil branded Cialis by manufacturer Eli Lilli.

The Indian generic ED formulations from reputable and large pharmaceutical manufacturers are generally thought to be superior to the Chinese generic version. The Indian generic ED versions have been sold worldwide for the past 5 years.

The big question is there a reliable source generic ED pills online. It is important to check online pharmacy ratings reviews and evaluations, before purchasing from any online outlet. In addition subscribe to the Pharmacy Shark Patrol a free information service that will keep you informed, to help you avoid online pharmacy sharks and rip off websites.

The Chinese drug companies are challenging New York-based Pfizer’s exclusive right to Viagra by seeking to make sildenafil citrate, the main active ingredient in the pill.

The companies are based all over China, from the northeastern province of Jilin to Guangdong in the south. They claim they have invested 100m yuan ($12m) to make less expensive imitations, the newspaper said, without giving more details.

China is a potentially huge market for Viagra, which was introduced in the country in 2000. Known locally as “weige,” or “great brother” in Chinese, it gained a huge following given the country’s tradition of using various substances to boost sexual performance. As a part of its WTO commitments, China has agreed to tighten protections on patents, copyrights and trademarks and said it would encourage its own companies to invest in creating profitable new drugs and other products.

OP SUBSCRIPTIONS - USER BEWARE

2006-07-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

The following is a typical online subscription pharmacy complaint recorded by the Pharmacy Shark Patrol from SteveRx.

Subject: Complaint against “Frontier Pharmacies, Inc” & their network of sites.

They operate a legitimate retail pharmacy and also have many of their own websites and affiliates. They are SquareTrade certified because they are a retail pharmacy.

Now the scam for customers and affiliates. They advertise incredibly low prices for customers and affiliates to lure them into their site. They also charge a $19.95 NON-REFUNDABLE Processing fee.

Even with the processing fee, their prices are very low. Therefore, the customer thinks they are getting a good deal and place an order (and the affiliate makes a sale). Now here’s the scam. They decline every order and just keep the $19.95 non-refundable fee. The customer is out $20, the affiliate makes no commission after sending the qualified traffic and Frontier keeps the $20 bucks for doing nothing in this scam.

They have been doing this for a couple of years are have been well covered in a number of OP affiliate forums and OP affiliate ranking sites like DrugStoreBestBuys.com due to the high level of customer and affiliate dissatisfaction.

To keep informed and ensure a good online puchasing experience join the Pharmacy Shark Patrol. The PSP has a huge catalogue of testimonials, confirming that we live up to our claims of providing back up service when retail pharmacies try to rip you off.

Safety First Aid - HIV

2006-07-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

The fastest-rising rates of HIV are occurring in an unlikely sector of society - senior citizens. A Florida research survey has found an alarming trend, which many believe is not uncommon in our regions.

A safe-sex crusade is now underway with the help of a very special weapon...

Picture the following scene. In a quiet nursing home on a screen, the tail-end of a documentary about marine life is still showing. Through the windows, residents can see perfect green lawns, a golf cart and a United States flag. Inside, the elderly audience - ladies and gentlemen, their hair white and their clothes dapper - are waiting quietly for what will follow the documentary.

What follows certainly changes the quiet mood. Miriam Schuler gets out her accessories. Schuler, an 86-year-old great-grandmother, begins the afternoon's next presentation by handing out little gifts - a manicure set, a battery-powered fan - but they're unwanted. What they are waiting for are condoms and Pfizer Viagra (or some other ED prescription medicine)

Miriam Schuler is better known as the Condom Grandma. She's been on national TV and in newspapers for her habit of handing out condoms at retirement homes, at doctor's surgeries, wherever she's legally allowed to do so and where she sees fit. Neither the fame nor the condoms bother her one bit.

Ship, then, is the unique Senior HIV Intervention Program, based in Florida's Broward County, where Miriam the Condom Grandma works as a volunteer, and where 13 per cent of people with Aids are senior citizens. Florida's pensioners are having sex, unsafely, and the Condom Grandma and her Ship colleague Paul Spearing are here today to persuade them not to.

It's an uphill battle. Nationwide, HIV in senior citizens in the US has soared since 1991. New Aids cases have risen faster in the over-fifties than in people under 40. Miriam didn't know any of this when she started volunteering for the Health Department to occupy her time. Volunteers were needed for something called Ship, and Miriam signed up.

Like most of her fellow senior citizens, the last time Miriam had seen a condom, it was called a "rubber" and it was only used as contraception. Like them, she'd spent most of the 20th century, and all the years of Aids and safe sex messages, sheltered in a marriage where she thought neither could affect her. Like most women of her generation, she'd gone through the menopause so thought she didn't need contraceptive devices. As for Aids, "I didn't even know what a T-cell was."

Now she knows everything there is to know, though she won't do the public speaking "in case I have a senior moment". One on one, though, she's unshakeable. "I don't hand out condoms to everyone, but I'll take them to my doctor's surgery, for example." When her doctor joked that her condoms weren't big enough for him, she rolled one up her to her elbow and said, "If you're bigger than that, give me your phone number!"

Like Paul Spearing, Miriam uses humour to figure out how to persuade old people to take the condoms even when they're acutely embarrassed. Like Spearing, who's 67, her age helps too, though they've both had condoms thrown back in their face. "I said to one old lady who did that, 'Would you throw back a lifebelt? That's what you've just done.' She took the condoms."

It was a wise decision. In Aids' early years, infection rates among senior citizens accounted for just 10 per cent of the total, but through blood transmission. Since 1991, though, heterosexual transmission has soared 91 per cent in men and 107 per cent in women, because of ignorance, arrogance and naivety. In the early years of Ship, says Sue Saunders, a delightful 72-year-old with Aids who was Ship's first speaker, "I'd ask who had heard of HIV and no one would raise their hand. We told them senior citizens were getting Aids and they'd say, 'I can't, I'm too old.' Women think they've gone through the menopause. Men think they're going to die anyway. They think they're safe, but they're not.

"These are people with values from another time," Spearing adds. "They say, 'I got a dose of the clap so bad they called it applause, and all they gave me was penicillin.' I tell them, 'Penicillin won't cure Aids.'"

In the beginning, it was even harder. The people who ran retirement communities couldn't stand to think that their residents were sexually active. When Sue Saunders started, Ship applied to give a presentation at Century Village, a huge condo complex near Fort Lauderdale that's popular with pensioners. They weren't given permission for six months. "But after we did the first presentation, they asked us back." (omega) "If you think senior citizens are in the woods about this," says Spearing, "you should see the healthcare providers. Some of them wear heavy green rubber gloves to treat HIV-positive people!" Others just don't want to know, despite a 1994 survey from the University of Chicago that found that over 60 per of men and 37 per cent of women aged between 50 and 59 were having sex several times a month.

Some sexually transmitted infections like herpes can be treated with medicines, but you must act swiftly to minimise the infection.

A number of pharmacies also carry HIV treatments, such as Budget Medicines, see the reviews on Budget Medicines and a compare online pharmacies, before purchasing.

There is both bravado and embarrassment at the Willow Wood presentation, which makes it typical. Asked by Spearing what the best kind of sex is, one man answers "Missionary!" (the answer is "safe"). But there's discomfort, too, from the women, who look away when Spearing makes jokes about condoms. But he's prepared for that with his fail-safe technique. "I'll single out the greyest, littlest old lady in the room, sit down next to her, and get her to say the word 'rubbers'. Then everything's fine."

Other times, he and Miriam suggest women send them to their grandchildren: "At least they take them."

Anecdotal evidence of frisky seniors is even more overwhelming. "In some retirement homes," says Miriam, "you hear them scurrying around at night." She knows what it's like, because when she was widowed, she immediately became a catch "because I could drive at night". When a man becomes a widower, she says, "women are round there immediately, giving him hot meals". In some retirement communities in the "snowbird" regions of Florida and Arizona - where people retire for sunshine - there are seven women for every man. There is boredom and availability, and - though retirement home staff prefer not to think about it - there are hormones. No wonder someone called retirement life "slow-moving high school". Yet still society can't countenance the idea of grandparents having sex. After Saunders was diagnosed, a nurse asked her if she'd been infected through drugs. "I said, 'No, it was through sex.' She said, 'Ugh! Disgusting!'"

The most enlightening thing about Ship, she says, "is that seniors could finally admit they were having sex. They love to talk about it because they've never been able to. Condoms just disappear! One time I had a box of female condoms under the table, I moved away to talk to someone; everyone wanted to tell their stories about how they had sex, about their boyfriends and girlfriends, in spite of all the ailments they had. I guess they felt they could talk to me." When she got back, the box had been stolen. "Another guy took about 50 condoms and said, 'I guess these'll last me the weekend.'"

Once, says Spearing, there was a little Latina lady looking more and more annoyed. "Eventually, she reached into her purse and I was convinced she was going to pull out a gun. She brought out a condom and said, 'Do you have any more chocolate flavour? I've run out.'" Spearing still laughs loudly at this. "I said, 'I'm sorry, but the Health Department doesn't provide chocolate flavour for free.'" Only the free oral sex condoms are flavoured, and only strawberry and banana.
Alongside this frankness, though, some seriously unsafe behaviour is going on. It's not helped by the fact that Viagra is available on Medicare, and condoms aren't. "Between men, we talk," says 67-year-old Enrique Corujo. "Some talk about Viagra. They say, 'I have five or six women on the go, because I can.' Some use condoms and some don't."

Then there are the drugs. "I tell them," says Spearing, "you can also catch HIV from sharing needles. They say, 'We're not junkies!' But when I tell them the story of a woman who goes shopping, and chooses to buy a steak over a new syringe for her insulin, because she can share Maisie's down the hall, you see them clicking with recognition." Other seniors take vitamin B12 shots. Some shoot up because they've been addicts for years, and qualifying for a senior's bus pass doesn't stop them. Some older men get involved with younger women with a habit, and try it out.

"The boredom and the attitude that they are at the last point in their lives makes seniors more willing to take certain risks," says Dr Isaac Montoya, who's researching IV drug use in seniors in Texas. "The argument that drugs and HIV will harm them and eventually kill them doesn't work because they feel something will kill them in the near future anyway so it might as well be pleasurable. And the probability of their children or grandchildren finding out about their drug use or HIV status is minimal: physicians are frequently willing to list cause of death as something other than drug use or HIV to protect the feelings of the family."

They're also willing to ignore the sex life of anyone over 50. Testifying before a Senate sub-committee on HIV and ageing in 2004, Shirley Royston, a 58-year-old woman with Aids, spoke for many. "I think my doctor thought I died below the waist when I hit 50." When Spearing asks the 30-strong Willow Wood audience who has ever been asked by their doctor about their sex life, only one man puts his hand up. "There is definitely ageism among doctors," says Jim Campbell of the National Association of HIV Over Fifty, the only national organisation dealing with the issue. "Once a woman reaches 50, she's never questioned about her sexual life.

There were 12m prescriptions of Viagra handed out last year - They were not all just used for wishful thinking. Select your range of Erectile Dysfunction medications carefully by using online service research provided by independent affiliates.

This wilful blindness nearly killed Saunders. She was in a long-term relationship with a Bahamian man who became sick. "He couldn't walk, he didn't want to eat." She guessed that he'd been fooling around ("because my husband did, so I figured he would too. Since I've been doing the HIV program, I figure all men do"). But he was adamant he didn't have Aids, right up to the minute it killed him. Even then, no one suggested that Sue get herself tested. "I went to the doctor with a sore throat and he said my thyroid was going nuts. He said, 'I don't know what it is but it's some kind of horrible virus.' But he never suggested HIV. I was white, a nice, older woman. Women my age didn't have sex."

Admittedly, it's harder to diagnose an old body, when HIV symptoms - sweats, diarrhoea, mental impairment - can mimic many normal ageing symptoms (hence HIV's nickname of Halfheimers). And there is little research for doctors to refer to. "There's no historical context for this," says Donna Gallagher, who works with HIV-positive seniors in Boston. "It's not like you can pick up a reference for what it's like to be 75 years old and living with HIV. We're writing the textbook. Providers are flying by the seat of their pants."

They're also scrabbling for money. Ship used to run in three counties, until funding was cut. At a national level, and despite the Senate investigation, money isn't forthcoming either. "It's tough to get funding for this issue," says Vincent Delgado, who used to run Ship in the Miami area. "It's got a double face - Aids and ageing. So the Aids people say, let the ageing people fund you, and vice versa. And no one ends up funding it."

NATIONAL DO NOT CALL REGISTRY

2006-06-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Pharmacy Shark Patrol receives a flow of often repeated pleading enquiries - asking how to get rid of persistent unwanted calls from call centres.

In the USA there is a new service to deal with this sort of unwanted telemarketing;
https://www.donotcall.gov/default.aspx

Please subscribe to this service and tell the offending telemarketer that you are subscribed and will file a complaint if they call you again.

If you ask the company not to call again, the company must honor your request not to call. If they subsequently call you again, they may be subject to a fine of up to $11,000.

Pharmacy Shark Patrol expects that the registry will eventually stop annoying telemarketers.

Tracking of Prescription Drugs

2006-06-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

In a bid to beat counterfeit drugs long-delayed federal rules requiring most wholesalers to track prescription drugs from factory floor to pharmacy door is prposed to take effect in December 2006.

The issues holding up introduction are, agreeing the tracking frequency, ensuring the selected frequency radio waves have no effect on the drugs and the biggest stumbling block, the cost of introduction and compliance. The cost of course will be bourne by tax payers and consumers when they go to purchase the products. You are invited to keep up to date on which, of the brand and generic suppliers that are reliable and who to avoid by joining a free subscription to Pharmacy Shark Patrol.

To see the most recent online Pharmacy list rating supplier performance Please visit DrugStoreBestBuys.

The regulations, stem from a 1988 law intended to combat counterfeiting by verifying a drug's pedigree, were originally drafted in 1999. But the F.D.A. had repeatedly put a stay on the rules because the drug industry said it lacked practical methods for tracking and tracing all of its products.

Now, though, the agency said further delay of the "pedigree" rules as they are known was no longer justified because of the development of electronic tracking technology, particularly digital identification tags that can be scanned with radio waves.

Such tags have become small enough to embed in the labels of individual drug bottles and packages. The tags can store more information than bar codes and can be scanned from farther away.

The development and adoption of radio tags have been slowed by concerns on cost, reliability and security.

The F.D.A. had projected, based on industry forecasts in 2004, that the new technology would be widely deployed by 2007. That timetable was binned as only a handful of major pharmaceutical companies currently use radio tags on their products, and even in those cases the technology has not moved much beyond pilot programs.

The F.D.A. is an advocate for radio frequency identification, after major consumer retailers, manufacturers and the Department of Defense agreed to back standards for tagging in 2003 and to push for widespread adoption. The retail industry and Defense Department have focused primarily on tagging pallets and cartons of goods in their supply chains to avoid shortages and to increase efficiency.

The drug industry faces a more difficult challenge in tagging individual items as a way to fight counterfeiting and aid in product recalls. The biggest questions are not whether the technology can meet the drug industry's needs but which of two competing frequency standards to use and how fast it can be cost-effectively rolled out.

Most of the drug industry testing has been with older, so-called high frequency HF systems, but Wal-Mart and other major customers for the new technology have been supporting still higher-powered systems in the ultra high-frequency or UHF bandwidths.

A remaining uncertainty the F.D.A. noted yesterday is the effect of the radio signals on biological drugs, which consist of purified proteins. While there is not yet evidence of such problems with the technology, the testing has been limited.

The F.D.A. said that its new regulations could be met with bar codes or even written documents as well as the radio tags, although it expects that the industry will eventually adopt the radio tags almost universally. States like Florida and California that have been introducing their own drug-authenticity rules have taken a similar position.

Counterfeiting is roughly a $30 billion global problem for the drug industry, involving 8 to 10 percent of drugs sold. Federal regulators say it is relatively rare in the United States but still a concern because the drug distribution system is far more convoluted and open to corruption than most Americans realize, and the sophistication of the counterfeiters has been growing.

To appreciate the difference between counterfeiting, generic and brand name drugs you can follow the debate on DrugStoreBestBuys.com

While some drugs move relatively directly to consumers from manufacturers through major wholesalers, several thousand secondary wholesalers and repackagers that break down bulk shipments into smaller containers play a major role in drug distribution. Such middlemen also buy overstocks from retailers and other wholesalers to resell. In some cases, they buy stolen drugs, supplies accumulated by addicts or drugs from patients who obtain more from their doctor than they need.

The F.D.A. regulations, as specified by Congress, exempt major wholesalers who get drugs directly from manufacturers through established contractual relationships. But if the exempt wholesalers buy the drugs from any nonexempt source, they must obtain the pedigree information and pass it on when they sell the drugs.

Prescriptions Online - Smart Choices

2006-04-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

Many people on tight budget's turn to online pharmacies for brand name and generic pills, instead of expensive medical visits, with an even more expensive brand prescription. The issues many anti online advocates fail to address is the spiralling cost of prescription medication and the control of the market by big pharma.

These anti online advocates also fail to acknowledge the inconvenience and embarrassment many feel when having to queue up in waiting rooms and surgeries. Note the many benefits of online purchases as covered in publications like DrugStoresBestBuys.

How we deal with the real issues, rather than apply blanket bans and government control of individuals' rights that are near impossible to enforce, is worthy of a sensible public debate. The course that many online pharmacy detractors would have us take, like the wowzers prohibition, is likely to cause greater negative and even criminal activity. Such negative outcomes could be avoided with more realistic sustainable policing and good education.

Consumers are encouraged to review key information before buying from an online pharmacy. In particular, online pharmacies that do provide good economic and delivery services. Amongst the good pharmacies there are a large number of pharmacies to avoid, again research this list.

The process of decision making is based on education and personal choice. The question of the right of Governments to step in a remove personal choice is a debate between civil libertarians and governments who believe that people are too dumb to make sensible choices.

The answer lies somewhere between, with individuals required to take responsibility for their own actions. The welfare lines are full of people who absolutely blame society for their condition and do not accept any measure of responsibility to help themselves improve.

The big pharma multimillion dollar products that claim to cure serious illnesses and prevent thousands of deaths a year are the world's bestselling prescription drugs. These drugs are not simply being taken by the sick but are also increasingly being used as "lifestyle medications". Large numbers of advocates, like in the prohibition era are claiming that Governments and not individuals must take control of responsible behaviour.

High in the agenda of those calling for more government control is the group against online pharmacies.

The easy availability of virtually every kind of drug over the internet has meant that many people are now simply bypassing their doctor and self-prescribing medicines which they hope will improve their looks, job performance or prowess in the bedroom rather than treat a specific disease or condition.

Drugs designed to treat heart disease among the middle-aged are being used as slimming aids by young women; attention-deficit pills for children are taken by adults to concentrate in the boardroom; and even powerful injections for Aids patients are snapped up by people wanting an instant face-lift.

Doctors are becoming increasingly concerned at the ease with which patients can obtain such drugs via websites without any real checks on their medical history or claims to need the medication.

Patients who are refused an anti-depressant such as Prozac from their GP can simply buy supplies online. This is not illegal if the online company has a prescribing doctor on board. Whether that doctor takes a full medical history is hard to check up on.

Young women with eating disorders can, at the click of a button, obtain access to weight-loss products such as Xenical that are only meant for the morbidly obese. There is an even darker side to the "lifestyle drugs" industry. Many of the drugs sold online are generic drugs, some which are fakes that at best will not have any effect and at worst could harm.

The generic drugs industry is worth an estimated $40bn a year. The UK Government's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) seizes more than £3m worth of stolen or generic Viagra every year.

Another problem is that pharmaceutical companies are desperate to find the holy grail of the drugs world - a product that can be sold to as many people as possible for as long as possible. So "lifestyle" drugs that don't just treat one condition but have other, beneficial side effects are being aggressively marketed by the industry.

Prozac, ELI LILLY

Chemical name: Fluoxetine hydrochloride.

What it costs: A pack of 30 tablets will set you back about $40 from online pharmacies.

Uses: More than 3.5 million people in Britain take antidepressants, with Prozac among the most widely prescribed of its type. It is one of a class of drugs called SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), which are highly effective in treating depression as well as having low toxicity levels compared to older antidepressants.

Abuses: Prozac is also one of the most popular drugs sold on the internet. But there are concerns that the websites are creating a dependency on Prozac and allow people to increase their dosage without seeing a doctor or trying "talking therapies" instead of chemical cures. There have also been reports of clubgoers "self-medicating" with Prozac to counter the come down from taking ecstasy. In 2003, 81 deaths were attributed to overdoses of SSRIs and there have been reports of the drugs causing some people to commit suicide.

Xenical, ROCHE

Chemical name: Orlistat.

What it costs: About $130 for 90 capsules on the internet.

Uses: Marketed as a potential panacea for the obesity epidemic afflicting much of the Western world, Xenical works in a different way from most weight-loss pills, which simply suppress appetite. Instead, Xenical blocks the activity of enzymes called lipases that break down the fat molecules in food. The drug excretes the fat out of the body. It is highly effective but can have unpleasant side effects such as loss of bowel control.

Abuses: Some doctors are concerned that people may be taking Xenical on its own, rather than in conjunction with switching to a healthy diet. It is recommended only for obese people who have tried other weight-loss programmes, but its availability online has raised fears that sufferers of eating disorders may have easy access to it. It is only available on prescription in the UK, although it is on offer at Boots for people who sign up to the high street chemist's own weight-loss programme.

Valium, ROCHE

Chemical name: Diazepam. First manufactured by Roche, it is now no longer protected by patent, but produced in generic form by other companies.

What it costs: About $120 for 30 tablets online.

Uses: Dubbed "mother's little helper" when it began to be widely prescribed to women with anxiety or depression in the 1960s, Valium was once one of the world's best-selling drugs. Roche stopped making the drug in 2002 after its patent expired, but it is still produced in unbranded, generic forms by other pharmaceutical companies and is widely available on the internet. The little blue pills are in a class of drugs called benzodiazepines. Concerns about their addictive properties and the emergence of the new class of SSRI antidepressants led to a fall in popularity of Valium in the 1990s.

Abuses: Recently, doctors have begun reporting a rise in the number of young women using the drug to sleep after taking cocaine or amphetamines. They are buying it online or obtaining it through the same dealers selling them illegal drugs. The Priory Hospital in Roehampton estimates that up to one in 10 patients at its addiction centre is now hooked on Valium.

Ritalin, NOVARTIS

Chemical name: Methylphenidate.

What it costs: About $50 for 60 tablets.
Uses: Ritalin has proved to be a highly successful but controversial treatment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among children. But there are concerns that the drug is being used as a "chemical cosh" and prescribed to too many children. More than 30,000 youngsters are taking the drug in Britain.

Abuses: It has a chemical formula similar to cocaine and because it is an appetite suppressant, young girls and teenagers have been known to take it to keep slim. There have been reports of children selling their supplies to others in the playground, while students and businessmen take it to improve their attention and concentration in exams and the boardroom. Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration ordered that Ritalin and other similar drugs should carry "black box" warnings about an increased risk of heart attacks.

Viagra, PFIZER

Chemical name: Sildenafil Citrate.

What it costs: About $100 for four genuine tablets.

Uses: It was designed to treat impotence, but many people are buying it in the belief that it will boost their sexual performance.

Abuses: The most widely sold prescription drug on the internet, Viagra nets more than $2.5bn a year for Pfizer and many more millions for the thousands of counterfeit copies that are available. While genuine, branded Viagra tablets will cost around $20, generic erectile dysfunction pills are available for as little as $2 each. Doctors are concerned that it has also become a "clubbers drug" with people mixing it with illegal substances such as ecstasy despite warnings that it can carry risks of heart problems.

Lipitor, PFIZER

Chemical name: Atorvastatin.

What it costs: About $90 for 30 tablets online.

Uses: Lipitor is a statin that lowers cholesterol and - by a very wide margin - is the world's bestselling drug. More than 11 million prescriptions for the drug are issued in Britain every year. Statins are generally considered to be very safe, but they do carry risks of digestive problems and liver toxicity in a small number of patients.

Abuses: Britain was the first country in the world to allow a statin (not Lipitor) to be sold over the counter because of the clear benefits of reducing cholesterol, but there are concerns that the drug is being abused. There have been reports of it being misused as a slimming aid, particularly by women. Last year, more than 120,000 packets of generic Lipitor found their way into pharmacies across Britain, highlighting the huge and dangerous trade in counterfeit drugs.

Serostim, SERONO

Chemical name: Somatropin.

What it costs: About $12 for one injection.

Uses: It is used to help build up the strength of Aids patients who suffer debilitating weight loss. The injectable growth hormone has few side effects and quickly improves muscle tone - but it is now the victim of a burgeoning black market.

Abuses: The easy availability of Serostim highlights the way in which the internet has transformed access to powerful and potentially highly dangerous prescription drugs and turned them into lifestyle medications. Body builders are buying it online to bulk out muscle and it also enables them to recover faster from work-outs. Women are even injecting it in an effort to combat the effects of ageing and there have been reports of people in the film industry using it to make their skin look tighter and younger. Fake versions have led to severe side effects in some Aids patients in the US.

Provigil, CEPHALON

Chemical name: Modafinil.

What it costs: About $180 for 30 tablets online.

Uses: Provigil is marketed as a treatment for narcolepsy, a condition that causes excessive sleepiness and can make it impossible for people to stay awake. It has also been useful for multiple sclerosis patients who are often affected by extreme fatigue.

Abuses: Strict regulations on prescribing Provigil in the UK were eased two years ago. Unlike amphetamines that were previously used to treat sleep problems, and caused jittery side effects, Provigil works by targeting the neurones involved in wakefulness. But it is also increasingly being used as a lifestyle drug by people who do not have sleep problems. Suggestions that it could also help boost weight loss and mood have made it even more popular. Clubbers are using it to keep partying through the night, while businessman are buying it to help them through long days in the office, and students are taking it to keep revising. Doctors have warned that the drug can be psychologically addictive and can induce headaches and nausea.

Editor notes a source of anti online pharmacy references and extracts from : Maxine Frith 18 April 2006 Belfast Telegraph

Choosing A Good Pharmacy Affiliate Program

2006-04-01T17:12:00.000-08:00

A frequent question we receive from affiliates is : "why are 2 tier online pharmacy affiliate programs better than a 1 tier?".

For Pharmacy Affiliates their perspective is that you can build a better business promoting a 2 tier or 3 tier program for the same amount of effort.

Let me explain :

1) Any effort generating business for a single tier program, will also net that program new affiliates. In effect affiliates create their own competition, which in turn reduces income and increases costs to get the same business as before.

Compared to a 2 tier program where affiliates are paid on going compensation for bringing in more affiliates to help to make the program stronger. Now let's look at the less obvious facts, that are very good indicators for consumers evaluating which online pharmacy to preference with an order (and hard earned money).

2) By far the biggest percentage of fly-by-night pharmacy programs start and finish without an affiliate program or as a 1 tier affiliate program.

3) A group of people working as a team do a better job monitoring programs for consumers and affiliates - rather than affiliates working in a void, with their only contact an affiliate manager. This is particularly important when it comes down to 2 things that usually go together - missing deliveries and missing advertising payments.

4) If you are an online pharmacy customer or a small to medium size affiliate and you see the program is ripping you off - who will fight on your side? If you have no downline or upline, you have no power and you are ignored. If you have no affiliate publisher on your side - as a consumer you are just ignored.

5) If a group of customers have missed deliveries you are more likely to find out if you are working with a team of other affiliates than if you are by yourself in a single tier.

The counter to the above arguement to support a no affiliate program or a single tier program -is that a no affiliate program, makes the products cheaper for consumers - very wrong. Without affiliate advertisers the pharmacies - unless they are scammers do not get the critical mass to obtain better wholesale prices.

Alternatively, we hear that single tier pharmacy affiliate programs advertising pay is higher. Rubbish - after 5 years in this business, we have calculated that a good 2 tier program, lasts longer, earns more reliable income and looks after customer service - which means more repeat orders.

So unless you are a very big affiliate getting very high repeat order commission, you will lose promoting single tier. Small and medium sized affiliates really miss out. The best affiliate programs promote the advantages of their 2 tier approach. Why? Because they know a 2 tier approach gives them better bottom-line results. Their programs are more effectively promoted in a cooperative rather than combative atmosphere. They also are in for the long run and know that happier affiliates will generate better program sales.

When you visit : http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/affiliates/default.htm you know that the TOP 8 programs in each category of Brand, Generic and Herbal will give you a tried and tested return. Avoid hours of work supporting fly-by-nighters who run for a few months then steal your money.

Cheap Drugs and Subscription Payment Trap

2006-03-29T16:56:00.000-08:00

DrugStoreBestBuys and Pharmacy Shark Patrol receive daily requests to comment on the performance of online pharmacies.

We have quoted from many examples in the past - here is a recent enquiry from Kris K from Illinios worth discussing :

To: drugstorebestbuys.com
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2006 8:40 AM
Subject: usrxleader.com

Have you heard anything good or bad about this pharmacy usrxleader.com, they seem so cheep! Thanks K.

This is the fast response from Melissa our customer service community manager :

From: Webmaster DSBB
Sent: Thursday, 30 March 2006 9:17 AM
To: Kris K...........
Subject: RE: usrxleader.com

This is a well disguised subscription pharmacy!

AVOID!!! or you will find a monthly fee of $19.95 on your credit card that is hard to stop.
Please visit DrugStoreBestBuys scam resource information centre

Is is wise to be wary when prices are TOO cheap. Often relates to non delivery.
This site was started in 2005-08-26 so it is a newcomer.

There is no affiliate program which makes it hard to monitor and easy for it to cheat and get away with it for longer.

Contact us information is very inadequate. Suggesting an avoidance of customer support - can be a sign of a scammer.

From the site:USrxLeader.com is an affiliated website to frontierpharmacies.com and the order process, customer support and any other user interaction will be handled by frontierpharmacies.com.

Frontier Pharmacies is on our scammers list due to non delivery.

The contact details are US so that is encouraging but can just be the webdeveloper.

Hope this helps. For peace of mind, please refer to the DrugStoreBestBuys online pharmacies performance ratings list to select from pharmacies where you can buy without being scammed.

Hope this helps. Have a great day.

Melissa

FDA Sends Approvable Letter For Thelin

2006-03-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

The FDA sent an "approvable letter" to Encysive Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s for their new drug Thelin. Providing Thelin can meet certain conditions, it can be approved for treating a rare, often-fatal lung condition.

Thelin has the same active ingrediants as Pfizer's Viagra, sildenafil citrate.

The FDA did not disclose the conditions, however, the Houston-based Encysive Pharmaceuticals is seeking permission to sell Thelin for treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which causes severe shortness of breath and often kills.

The failure to win full approval for Thelin will likely be viewed as positive for Swiss biotechnology company Actelion, which relies heavily on its PAH treatment Tracleer to sustain growth. The delay with Thelin will provide a boost to forecast sales for Actelion's product Tracleer.

Tracleer once had the PAH market pretty much to itself, it is now facing increased competition from Pfizer Inc.'s Revatio, containing the same active ingredient as Viagra. Thelin would be another direct competitor for treating the rare condition that often leads to the need for a heart and lung transplant.

A fourth drug for PAH called ambrisentan is being developed by Myogen Inc..

Follow the daily health and medical news updates, including the debate over allowing cheaper generic forms of medicines to compete on a free market.

Clamp Down on Cheap Medications

2006-03-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

With the demand rising for cheaper pharmacy medications, manufacturers are pushing hard to stop the flow of generic medicines from entering USA.

Roche announced Friday that, working with 15 partners, it would increase production of Tamiflu by 33 percent by year's end. The company is aware that competition from manufacturers of generic medicines are targeting the product because of the increased demand for bird-flu treatments.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said that they have seen an increase in bogus treatments for high cholesterol, hypertension and obesity. Some generic drugs include products made with incorrect or no active ingredients, the wrong amount of medicine or by unlicensed manufacturers.

In 2004, Britain reported finding counterfeit versions of Reductil, an obesity treatment made by Abbott Laboratories, and copies of Cialis, an impotence drug manufactured by Eli Lilly. A year earlier, shipments of generic Lipitor, the cholesterol drug from Pfizer, made their way into drugstores in the United States.

The growth of Internet pharmacies has increased with the high demand for cheaper medications. Unfortunately, it has also created an opportunity for counterfeiters because consumers often do not know whom they are buying from. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations in Geneva believe saales of prescription drugs over the Web may grow to $13.8 billion next year from $3.2 billion in 2003, according to Jupitermedia, a research firm based in Connecticut.

Seizures of generic drugs rose 40 percent last year, with Russia overtaking China for the first time as the country with the highest number of confiscations, according to a study by the Pharmaceutical Security Institute, based in Vienna, Virginia, which was founded in 2002 by the security directors of 14 drug makers.

The European Union has become more open to the importing of generic medicines since it expanded to include countries bordering Russia.

The arguements for and against the development of generic medications are many and complex. The big pharmaceutical companies claim that generic drugs undermine the research work for new drugs. In contrast to the generic manufacturers state that "big pharma" make excessive profits from patented medicines. Adding that much of the research is focussed on finding ways to modify an existing medication so that a new patent or extended patent can be applied.

The pharmacy ratings listing for reliable brand name and generic online pharmacies is an extensive guide, researched and built over a 5 year period. The independently compiled pharmacy comparison guide shows many trusted pharmacies, rated by performance.

An additional list of pharmacies to avoid and pharmacies that have closed is also maintained and updated. This list has a better alternative pharmacy option to consider listed against every avoid or closed pharmacy.

Sleep Aids - Where are the best buys?

2006-03-05T04:03:00.000-08:00

The sleeplessness of hot nights and pressure packed days is creating a boom in sleep aid sales.

France's Sanofi-Aventis introduced its Ambien sleeping pill to the United States in 1993 and now dominates the more than $2 billion market for prescription insomnia remedies. The generic name for Ambien is zolpidem tartrate.

Sepracor, a Massachusetts drug company, then released Lunesta, a rival sleep aid, in April 2002, it knew that its greatest challenge was to gain market share. The generic name for Lunesta is Eszopiclone.

Another new sleeping pill brand called Sonata, generic name Zaleplon was more recently released.

Sepracor's solution was to spend as much as $200 million on an ad campaign designed to convince consumers of two things: That they have a right to a decent night's sleep, and that Lunesta is a safe and simple way to get it.

David Claman, director of the UCSF Sleep Disorders Center in San Francisco, knew at the time that Lunesta was arriving but hadn't given the drug's premiere much thought. Then the commercials started, the ones with a glowing green butterfly that brings soothing slumber to a restless world.

Since that advertising the sales of sleep aids has boomed. As I reported by David Lazurus in the San Francisco Chronical last Wednesday, the first in a multipart look at the business of sleep, a record 43 million sleeping-pill prescriptions were written by U.S. doctors last year, according to market researcher IMS Health.

By 2010, according to estimates, the pharmaceutical industry will be reaping at least $5 billion from annual sales of so-called hypnotics. Americans are an increasingly sleepless people. The National Institutes of Health says more than 70 million people nationwide may be affected by sleep troubles -- and the total is expected to grow every year as Baby Boomers advance in age.
This represents an enormous opportunity for drug companies.

The commercials for Lunesta offer fast convenient relief from tossing and turning and a restless night. All consumers are invited to do is take a little pill. In response to this and ads for other insomnia remedies, more and more consumers are growing comfortable with the idea of medicating their way to sleep each night.

The market is growing so rapidly that according to Medco Health Solutions, a manager of prescription drug benefit programs, the number of adults ages 20 to 44 using sleeping pills doubled from 2000 to 2004.

Meanwhile, the number of kids ages 10 to 19 who take prescription sleep remedies jumped by 85 percent during the same period. Medco said its analysis of 2.4 million prescription drug claims found that the highest percentage of kids taking sleeping pills is in Western and mountain states -- Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Ann Smith, a Medco spokeswoman, said it's possible that kids in these states lead more active lifestyles and thus need more help winding down at night. "Maybe they're all overstimulated at bedtime," she said.

Among adults under 65, use of sleeping pills is heaviest in the South -- Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. "We're not quite sure about that," Smith said. "We're not sure why that part of the country uses more behavior-modification medications."

She does know this, though: It's obvious that consumers have been strongly influenced by the extensive marketing efforts orchestrated by drug companies. "It's a double-edged sword," Smith said. "Direct-to-consumer advertising can enlighten people, which is a good thing. It can also lead to overuse."

Ads for Viagra notwithstanding, drug marketing tends to resonate most with female consumers. As such, Medco found that women are far more likely than men to take sleeping pills. In 2004, 58 percent more women ages 20 to 64 took prescription sleep remedies than men. Thirty-seven percent more girls ages 19 and under took sleeping pills than boys their age.

Ambien has long dominated the market -- but that could soon change. Sanofi-Aventis' patent on the drug runs out later this year, opening the door to a flood of low-cost generic alternatives.
To keep its foot in the door, the company introduced longer-lasting Ambien CR in October.
Emmy Tsui, a Sanofi-Aventis spokeswoman, said U.S. sales of Ambien and Ambien CR totaled about $1.5 billion last year. "It's a safe and effective treatment," she said, "supported by 16 years of patient use."

For its part, Sepracor says sales of Lunesta reached $329.2 million in the eight months last year after the drug's introduction. It was the company's first profitable year. "To date, no other sleep medication, either prescription or over-the-counter, has shown consistent efficacy over a six-month treatment period," said David Southwell, Sepracor's chief financial officer.

But are the pills safe? Ambien's Web site acknowledges that "all sleep medicines carry some risk of dependency," while the Lunesta site notes only that "most sleep medicines carry some risk of dependency." The makers of both pills say side effects can include drowsiness and dizziness. They also say that memory problems are possible, but can be limited if the pills are taken as directed.

The reported side effects can be seen on forums across the web. In some cases, Ambien can cause diarrhea. Lunesta can leave users with headaches and an unpleasant taste in the mouth. (Some have described it as a metallic taste.)

These relatively new drugs are replacing older sedatives such as Halcion, known in the trade as benzodiazepines. Both types of drugs work through the same brain receptors, but researchers believe the newer ones are less likely to lead to abuse over extended periods.

Susan Carson, a senior research associate at Oregon Health and Science University's Evidence-Based Practice Center, led a recent study on the effectiveness of newer sleeping pills like Ambien and Lunesta.

She found that the drugs do tend to work as advertised but that no one pill stands out as working better than any of the others. She also found that while these medications appear to pose a lower risk of dependency than earlier sleeping pills, it's hard to say for sure.

"They're shown to be safe in short-term studies," Carson said. "There's little information about their long-term use."

The most convenient and inexpensive way to obtain sleeping aids is online. To avoid the pharmacy sharks and to find reliable suppliers, consumers are well advised to use a good comparison website with detailed evaluation of top online pharmacies.

The links provided here are directed to the best of the many good websites that offer tips on beating sleep disorders and insomnia and help with selecting the most reliable best price saving pharmacies for convenient online orders.

Used for reference in this article:

David Lazarus' writing for San Francisco Chronicle.

Pharmacy Shark Patrol - Sites to Avoid

2006-03-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

Pharmacy Shark Patrol receives a regular flow of enquiries from subscribers asking for assistance on many subjects to do with online pharmacy purchasing.

The PSP aims to assist you to obtain all the many cost savings and benefits to avoid the many scams and bad practices online.

One of the most common requests is for a review on pharmacies rating.

This question received today from William is a typical request :

...."How does this company rate - canadianpharm.info" .....
Wiilliam

This is our typical answer:

Hi William,

I would avoid this site :

Hosted in UK
no valid SSL
No Google page rank and low alexa rank
Created On:19-Jan-2006 23:39:58 UTC - Be very wary
Admin for this site is in Indonesia
Registrant Organization:BigCompany (also a worry)

Without a good affiliate program, PSP can not properly monitor the pharmacies performance through our network of customers and affiliates. Affiliate programs are the best form of testing and monitoring a sites integrity.

I hope this will help you choose a reliable program in the future. Please consider visiting : DrugStoreBestBuys.com for the latestest info which pharmacy to trust and which OP to avoid.

Where are the costs in US prescription drugs/

2006-02-28T04:27:00.000-08:00

In 2002, industry association Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, imposed sweeping regulations, trimming the marketing fat by barring freebies like entertainment and "dine and dash" programs, where doctors could get restaurant take-out for the whole family with little or no actual interaction with a sales rep.

Despite the Pharmaceutical industry clamping down on its own marketing extravagance, pharmaceutical companies spent an increasing amount on sales relationships with doctors. In 2004, $7.8 billion was spent on marketing to health professionals, an 18 percent increase over what was spent before the big pharmaceutical makers agreed to a new marketing code, according to IMS Health Inc.

On top of that, almost $16 billion worth of free drug samples was distributed to doctors in 2004, more than twice what was given out five years prior.

Sales reps once showered physicians with lavish gifts and entertainment until the industry clamped down on itself with new, sweeping regulations nearly four years ago.

Some doctors have gone beyond the AMA guidelines, opposing any kind of freebies from sales reps. At NoFreeLunch.org, doctors can pledge to never again accept free lunches and pharmaceutical paraphernalia such as pens, notepads and other office accessories.

However, the question remains how do Doctors find out about new prescription products? One answer is the growing online research material and information. The trick is finding a reliable resource. One reliable resource is DrugStoreBestBuys.info an open source guide to what is available for a range of treatments, plus the best pharmacies with the best prices.

RX Mex - Closes January 24th, 2006.

2006-01-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

RXMEX-COM SA de CV a licensed UK-based company with International distribution partners has decided not to continue to grapple with the legal challenges of international pharmacy operation.

Effective from January 24, 2006, citing the difficulties in negotiating legal hurdles as the reason for closure.

The Pharmacy Shark Patrol can announce that an alternative and reliable significant supplier has commenced negotiations with RX MEX to become the nominated alternative supplier. Further confirmation advice will soon be issued, please contact PSP for further information. The privacy of all customers and affiliates will be maintained and protected. Rx Mex will send you the option to transfer your business to the nominated alternative supplier.

All existing Rx Mex orders are being delivered and publisher affiliate commissions owing will be paid. If you have a delivery issue please contact Pharmacy Shark Patrol.

Rx Mex has decided to focus their business activity in their core distribution area, which is PC communications components and services. RX Mex was a most reliable operation and provided clients a real savings option with quality products. We are sorry to see them close their pharmacy supply and wish them well in their future endeavours.

To see the best current replacement option for equivalent products lines - please refer to Budget Medicines. For additional reliable supply options please review the Top 7 Generic pharmacies offering low prices and reliable services are available from DrugstoreBestBuys Online Pharmacies Ratings List

Please contact the Pharmacy Shark Patrol for further back up information.

Medicine Stock Shortage Solutions

2005-12-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

Seasons Greetings from the Pharmacy Shark Patrol.

Here are a few tips to help you find the best buys for medications and avoid stock outs for a merrier Christmas

SLEEP AID : The best Generic Ambien buys are from Budget Medicines and Aclepsa.
The best Generic Sonata buys are from Aclepsa and Seypharma.

GENERIC LEVITRA : Only a few pharmacies have supply. The best of the few are Budget Medicines and RxPillsMD.

WEIGHT LOSS : Stock of phentermine, meridia and xenical still available at Direct Pharmacy and DietPharm. There is a big phentermine and Didrex stock shortage across the market. As the supply becomes available again in a wider range of outlets PSP will let you know.

For all the detailed pharmacy reviews, performance ratings and site links please visit DrugstoreBestBuys Pharmacy Ratings List

The alternative Viagra and top NATURAL product LIBIDUS for men and women is enjoying a major sales boost. To see reviews please visit Libidus.info

eDrugstore back fulfilling orders

2005-12-11T17:29:00.000-08:00

eDrugstore have solved the credit card processing issues that resulted in a shot term suspension of sales. The result is giving an even more reliable service but has resulted in small price increases.

We congratulate them on swift action and good solution.

Please refer to Drugstore BestBuys list of rated online pharmacies for updates on many top pharmacies.

Tamiflu Vacinations - Last line of Defence

2005-12-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

The risk of a global avian flu pandemic seems to be being taken more seriously after new cases were reported in eastern Europe. In the US, a draft federal report has drawn alarming conclusions.

EU states are stepping up border controls after cases were reported in Romania and Turkey over the weekend. In Romania's Danube Delta, emergency measures have been taken after three migratory ducks were found ill.

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu convened an emergency government meeting last month to discuss measures. Some 3,400 people in the Danube Delta have already been vaccinated with numbers expected to reach 125,000 in the coming days, said Romanian health chief Rodica Costinea.

In Brussels, spokesperson Philip Tod said the Commission and the member states were in "a heightened state of vigilance".

"We have surveillance measures in place for poultry and wild birds. Member states have been asked to increase border inspections on live birds and poultry and we have instructed them to increase hygiene measures," Tod was reported as saying by The Independent.

A US federal report, seen by The New York Times, predicts a worse-case scenario with nearly 2 million Americans dying, riots in clinics and disruptions in power and food supplies if adequate preparations are not put in place.

Tamiflu: The #1 doctor-prescribed flu medicine*

Last flu season, doctors wrote more prescriptions for TAMIFLU (oseltamivir phosphate) than any other flu treatment. Tamiflu attacks the influenza virus and stops it from spreading inside your body.

eDrugstore.md suspends sales

2005-12-01T21:20:00.000-08:00

After years of great service to USA customers, recently also supplying Canadian customers, eDrugstore has had to suspend sales.
This is hopefully a short lived obstacle. The message on the front of their site indicates the problem.

Effective 10:00am EST on Wednesday, November 30, 2005, eDrugstore.md has been forced to temporarily suspend sales operations. This suspension was caused by the government's recent, widespread and quick action to prohibit credit card processors the ability to support the Online Pharmacy Industry by processing its merchant transactions. Therefore, we have temporarily lost our ability to process credit card transactions. We are in the vigorous process our finalizing alternative transaction processing options with alternative suppliers. We anticipate this process to be a very short one and expect to be back online quickly.

Please check back on a daily basis as we anticipate this situation to be resolved shortly. We thank you for your business and look forward to serving you again shortly.

The Management of eDrugstore.md

Is this another case of "prohibition thinking"? With the increasing price of fuel and health care many Americans need to look to online options to manage their personal budgets.

At DrugstoreBestBuys we monitor and rate online pharmacies to provide information on, and access to, high quality providers. Our standards are high and eDrugstore is a very good supplier. They supply Brand Name medications approved by the US FDA.

We have never received a complaint from one of their customers. The members of the Pharmacy Shark Patrol are quick to report any problems to us.

We will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates.

Watch out for camouflage sites

2005-11-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

A camouflage site is a site that takes a similar domain to a successful and popular site and pretends to be the genuine site to falsely earn visitors trust. Frequently content is cloned to match original, genuine site. They frequently do not last long unless the original site is closed or does not chase the clone for copyright infringement.

IPharmacy.md closed suddenly after providing good service and establishing a loyal customer base. There are now attempts to trick those customers with a clone site and adding a hyphen to the name: i-Pharmacy.md.

The site looks like the original iPharmacy.md but when you click to order product you go to another site and a different check out. We have had reports from upset customers placing orders and not receiving delivery, still thinking they are ordering from their regular supplier.

Please be wary when ordering even from your old favourites.

Please check the pharmacy ratings page and the the list of online pharmacies that have closed if you are at all uncertain.

Can I get free ED pill samples of Cialis?

2005-11-09T21:41:00.001-08:00

Free sample offers, in our experience are frequently a way of getting customers and credit card details to unreliable suppliers.
Please be wary of using any credit card information where a sample is offered "Free".
The safest free sample can be obtained from your doctor.

To purchase safely online I recommend using one of our Top Rated Online Pharmacies.

Please check Suppliers and Prices of Brand Name Cialis

Save up to 70% with Generic Cialis sample packs are available from Budget Medicines or Rx Mex
You can have a trial for $36.95 for 4 x 20 mg delivered from Budget Medicines.

Generic drugs are as safe and effective as the brand-name drugs and much cheaper.
They are an exact copy of the brand-name drug, show the same pharmacological effect, and have the same risks and benefits. Sometimes the generic version of a drug may differ in color or shape from its brand name counterpart - these differences have no effect on the medical action of the drug and are for commercial or patent reasons only.

ED sample trial packs are also a great way to find the solution that best suits your individual needs.

Didrex and Phentermine Deliveries

2005-10-18T19:55:00.000-07:00

There is a current shortage of some Weightloss Medications.
Drugstores-BestBuys (a WebRxPartners member) has a backlog of orders for Didrex and no word available on supply dates.

Drugstores-BestBuys are supplying Phentermine to USA for 15 and 30mg tablets but if you are after Phentermine 37.5mg please order from IntegraRx.

We are unable to recommend a top reliable supplier for Didrex at this point. If you can help please contact us.

Pharmacy deliveries delayed in Hurricane Recovery

2005-10-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

Pharmacy Drugstores BestBuys and supplier WebRx Partners are getting deliveries back on track. They are one of the best USA based suppliers for Ambien and carry a wide range of weight loss medications like Phentermine.

They were badly damaged in by Hurricane Rita.

There have been complaints as one would expect.

Our Pharmacy Shark Patrol members are fast to keep us informed.

However we are aware of the unprecedented damage that the latest hurricanes caused and most customers are understanding.

Our ongoing investigations of this pharmacy show a genuine effort to solve problems and answer customers concerns against a difficult situation.

We are watching their progress and feel they soon will again be a reliable supplier.

Please check Online Pharmacy Rating List for alternative suppliers and Ambien price comparison tables for other top suppliers.

Quality Generics becomes Aclepsa

2005-10-09T19:35:00.000-07:00

QualityGenerics.com has changed to the new online drugstore Aclepsa.com.

Among the reasons for the branding change is the general direction of the company to offer a wider range of products than just generic medication. Aclepsa.com already offers brand name medications in addition to generic. Soon, contact lenses, vitamins, and other products will be offered.

The same impressive medication selection of several hundred quality generic names can now be accessed at Aclepsa.com instead of QualityGenerics.com.

Customers please note: Old QualityGenerics.com customers will receive 20% free bonus pills with any order at Aclepsa.com.

Affiliate Link Changes:

Please make sure you replace the string "qualitygenerics.com" with "aclepsa.com" in all your affiliate links.

Aclepsa.com has the same affiliate interface and your user logins and passwords will work as before. For new Aclepsa sign up please use this link.

Drugstore BestBuys team will be monitoring this site to make sure the standards still include it in top 7 generic suppliers. Please visit Online Pharmacies Ratings List

Getting Top Listings on DrugstoreBestBuys

2005-09-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Pharmacy Ratings List on DrugstoreBestBuys is a very popular customer service.
We are constantly being asked to be included.

Here is one of our responses:

Drugstorebestbuys closely monitors the customer service performance of sites we list.
The only way to get into our top suppliers lists is to provide excellent service that we can track.
We do not accept paid listings - positions are earned and kept on merit.
We use the tracking in the associated affiliate program
Also feedback from our many loyal customers who love to keep us informed on customer service and product quality.

For best quality control we prefer 2 tier programs like MYAP
Our hundreds of affiliates provide rapid and accurate feedback on a site's performance and integrity.
Getting into our top lists is a big commitment to excellent service and responsible reporting.
It is very valuable to every listed pharmacy and we work together to maintain the required standards.
Your site has some excellent features but with out the feedback and service monitoring it will not get listed.
There are too many dishonest sites for us to recommend any site we cannot easily monitor.

Hope this give you all an insight into the power and quality of our lists.

Please continue to beware of Subscription Pharmacies

2005-07-31T18:56:00.000-07:00

Pharmacy Shark Patrol continues to receive requests for information from people tricked by these schemes. It makes us very angry that people in genuine need lose their money to these fraudsters.

Watch out for card33.com. They make contact very difficult with no working support links and the unsubscribe link brings up an error.

Please refer to our page on these scam schemes that charge a monthly fee to "save" you money on your prescriptions.

Take action as soon as you can.

Check out our list of top online pharmacies for peace of mind and genuine savings when buying online.

Phentermine Weight Loss Forum

2005-07-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Thank you readers for your generous feedback and ideas. We listen to and encourage your feedback that helps The Pharmacy Shark Patrol provide service improvements.

Please continue to use DrugStoreBestBuys.com research and experience to get the best medication prices. We want you to benefit from our valuable service offers when you go online looking for a reliable weight loss pharmacy.

We get frequent requests from readers who are keen to locate a friendly forum to share weight loss challenges and get support and ideas to help. Well your requests have been answered - we have located PhenForum.

We invite you to visit the forum and share your weight loss success stories and get some great tips, including great diet recipies. You will find folks who share your situation and will gladly respond to your enquiries and it is free to join.

The highly respected DrugStoreBestBuys.com has provided additional recently updated reviews and reports into the lowest priced most reliable pharmacies for weight loss, sleeping pills, hairloss, ED or pain medication.

Regards
Clive

Lunesta

2005-07-25T00:23:00.000-07:00

Lunesta is so far the only prescription sleep aid approved by the Food and Drug Administration for long-term use, in contrast with more established short-term medications such as Ambien and Sonata. While most of the eight FDA-approved sleep aids tend to lose their effectiveness after a week or so of use, studies show Lunesta has been shown effective for up to six months.

Some of the emerging new insomnia medications are believed to enhance the action of so-called GABA receptors within the brain believed to promote sleep, while minimizing side effects more common to older drugs.

Price Comparison Table for Lunesta, generic name Eszopiclone, Sleeping Pills

Sleeping Pills from Reliable Pharmacies

2005-07-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

In response to customer requests we have researched and built a site listing our top suppliers for the main sleeping pills.

If you are looking for the best suppliers from our monitored pharmacies who will meet your needs for Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata please visit BestBuy Sleeping Pills

The site also compares Ambien, Lunesta and Sonata.

80% of US Voters Demand Acess to Cheaper Imported Pills

2005-07-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

Americans are demanding a lower fairer price on their prescription pharmacy needs.

According to an article posted on July18, 2005 by Lisa Huriash, a staff writer for Sun-Sentinel, the AARP, has just released a national survey showing that four out of every five older Americans support the importation of cheaper prescription drugs.

Lisa, writes that Florence Socolov was among the first of the bus loads of consumers who had turned to Canadian and Canadian pharmacies to purchase medicines and tablets. Florence needs medicines to help increase the strength of her bones and the medication was cheaper over the border than at home in Fort Lauderdale.

Evidently, Florence noticed an advertisement in a Jewish magazine that offered an alternative to Canada. Now the 74 year old shops on the Internet and orders her medication from Israel. She can now find lower prices than those at Canadian pharmacies. There is also another little benefit she feels.

"There are enough companies that are being strangled into not doing business with Israel [because of political boycotts], and if I can do anything at all in my small way I will do it," she said.

Advertisers in national Jewish newspapers and magazines are often promoting lower prices and solidarity with their cause. The adverts tell shoppers they'll be "saving money and supporting the Israeli economy at the same time. "For her first order, placed in May, Florence paid $115.80 for a dozen 70 mg tablets of Fosamax, plus $9.99 for shipping. The same order could have cost $210.79 at a Walgreens in Tamarac, and $133.23 from Canada Prescriptions Plus, an online supplier of prescription drugs.

Like Canada, Australia, New Zealand and much of Western Europe, the Israeli government either establishes drug prices and or allows approved generic lines where patents have expired, to compete and thereby keeping prices down.

The prices can be as much as 70 to 80 percent lower in Israel, Mexico and India. Some brand name drugs are identical and others are generic products that use the same chemical constituents.

Critics say Americans who buy from other countries are compromising safety for cost."Many Canadian pharmacies have disclaimers that if you are hurt, you waive the right to sue them," said Tom McGinnis, the Food and Drug Administration's director of pharmacy affairs. If anything goes wrong with prescription drugs sold in the U.S., he said, consumers have recourse with the state pharmacy board and the FDA."It's more of a threat to public health of U.S. citizens because we don't know anything about these medications, how they are made, how they were stored and how they were shipped, as opposed to your state licensed pharmacy.

Florence indicated she isn't swayed by arguments U.S. drugs are safer."The [American] drug companies are robbers. They are not very straight with us. They are greedy," she said. "I'm sure the drug companies of Canada do not wish to poison their people; Israel does not wish to poison its people.

Many drugs are manufactured sold in the USA are manufactured in other countries in the first place. Lipitor and Viagra are made in Ireland, for example. Nexium is produced in Sweden and France. Prevacid is made in Japan.

Many reputable companies use blister or foil packaging system to eliminate the threat of counterfeit drugs. they stamp the expiration date on two layers of labels. That became standard practice throughout Israel years ago to prevent acts of terrorism against the drug supply, she said. Some overseas online pharmacies have been in business for over 30 years and importing into the USA for the past decade.

Avi Fadida, marketing manager for IsraMeds.Fadida said two-thirds of his clients are Jewish and like the idea of helping Israel financially. "We have Jewish people asking, especially in New York, in the Brooklyn area, begging for the kosher medications," Fadida said. Because they are considered lifesaving, prescription drugs are not subject to Jewish dietary laws. But some mainstream products create an issue for observant Jews because of such ingredients as gelatin or glycerin, which are made from non-kosher animals.

Many overseas companies have identified that the bulk of their customers are older consumers without private health insurance plans, and Jews and evangelical Christians who want to support Israel with their wallets.

AARP was using the poll that shows 80% of Americans would support the idea of putting pressure on Congress to pass a bill that would set up a certification process for legally importing medicines from selected countries.

The idea that a closed market will somehow kill off the demand for affordable fair priced medicine will not work. It is better to open the market so that honest business people can work in an open way.

People power is like the tide - it will find a way to flow. To find reliable suppliers, DrugStoreBestBuys.com offer many relaible online pharmacy options compared, both local and overseas.

Finally An EX FDA Executive Endorses Bill to Officially Legalise Prescription Imports

2005-07-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

I just picked up a report by Tony PughKnight Ridder Newspapers that in WASHINGTON in late April 2005 - A bill to legalize prescription-drug imports is being endorsed by a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Dr. David Kessler, who headed the FDA under former President George H.W. Bush - President Bush's father - and President Clinton. Well congratulations David. That would have taken some courage to do the right thing by the US public.

What is needed is a voice - people power can work - it has overthrown socialist regimes in the East that had become very self serving. In the US we seem to have an abundance of extreme capitalism. I see extreme socialism and extreme capitalism as 2 halves of the same circle, with the extremes of both parts actually touching each other so in reality there is nothing much between them.

This endorsement was in stark contrast to the well worn protectionist warnings that could easily have come from any of a number of ex communist countries. These warnings actually came from other witnesses who appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions. The Big Pharma funded lobby group said the proposed measure would bring more counterfeit drugs into the United States and would slow U.S. drug companies' research and development by cutting prices which in turn would reduce their revenue.

The bill, sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Olympia Snowe, R-Maine, individuals could buy and import drugs from Canadian pharmacies registered with the FDA, starting 90 days after the legislation passes. One year after enactment, it would permit commercial imports from licensed pharmacies and wholesalers in Canada, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The number of licensed importers would be limited for the first two years.

The bill authorizes imports only of FDA-approved drugs manufactured in FDA-approved facilities.

The measure, and similar legislation by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., was designed to specifically address concerns over U.S. drug prices, which are up to 4 times higher than the rest of the world. The FDA currently doesn't seek prosecution of U.S. residents who fill personal prescriptions through mail order and the Internet.

However, the drug industry oppose widespread commercial importation, claiming that foreign drugs may be unsafe, counterfeit or improperly labeled, stored and shipped.

The Dorgan-Snowe legislation, co-sponsored by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., requires that imported drugs be labeled in English and packed in tamper-proof packages, and that their chain of possession be accounted for from manufacture to distribution. A fee of 1 percent each from drug importers and exporters would fund the safety requirements.

Kessler, who's the dean of the School of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, said the bill would make importing drugs safer for consumers, who now do it with almost no government oversight or safety assurance.

"Congress, I believe, has a responsibility to fix this serious problem," Kessler testified. "This legislation goes farther than previous attempts at addressing this issue."

Dr Kessler commended the bill for limiting the number of pharmacies and drug wholesalers that would be eligible to import medications during the first two years. In written testimony, Kessler said Congress "should consider whether similar limits should be included in the legislation for subsequent years, in order to keep the program manageable and of the highest quality."
A 2004 report by the Department of Health and Human Services found that assuring the safety of imported medications would be so costly that consumers would see a price break of only about 1 percent. Legalizing imports also would cut drug-companies' profits, which pay for research and development, resulting in three or four fewer approvals each year of innovative new medications, the report warned. This arguement can be seen as hog wash when you compare the percentage of money spent overseas and in the USA on research. Then compare the money spent on marketing and entertainment and lobby funds. If the later were reduced to the same levels as elsewhere in the world, not only would USA prices fall but research would not suffer.

Several witnesses at the hearing cited other concerns. Thomas Arthur, the dean of the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, said allowing drug imports was tantamount to importing foreign price controls. Graham Satchwell, who heads a London firm that helps drug companies implement anti-counterfeiting measures, said the United States would be a prime target for counterfeiters if importation were legalized.

Supporters of the bill think the proposal has the votes to pass in the Senate. The idea has had strong support in the House of Representatives in the past. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn, while supporting hearings on the measure, hasn't committed to a full floor vote. Frist's spokeswoman, Amy Call, said the senator supported importation if safety could be assured. She said she was unclear whether he thought the Dorgan-Snowe bill met that test.

Meanwhile the whole business of affordable medicines for US consumers sits in a limbo like grey area. Please visit this link to see a complete review of low prices from reliable pharmacies

People power may come to the rescue.

Which Drugs Are Right For You?

2005-07-10T06:59:00.000-07:00

Most doctors will tell you about the power that continual pharmaceutical advertising has on television to persuade the public to demand the latest drug, often without a clear understanding of whether they need the prescription.

In clinical trials, new drugs usually are tested on a sample of usually less than a few thousand people. The trial sample does not cover all the possible side effects that may occur. However, direct-to-consumer advertising helps greatly enhance sales of these largely unknown products.

By the time hidden side effects surface, millions of people may have used it. That happened with new-generation painkillers such as Vioxx, linked to thousands of heart attacks and deaths.

The governing body of the American Medical Association, which represents some 250,000 physicians, will not support legislation in Congress to ban direct-to-consumer ads on TV and in print for a period of time following approval of pharmaceuticals by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

Instead, the AMA's house of delegates, at the group's annual meeting in Chicago, adopted a resolution calling for "further study" of the problem. In the process, the group shuffled aside no fewer than six resolutions from various state delegations that argued strongly in favor of a ban.

AMA officials insisted the action doesn't mean the association won't eventually support a ban, but published reports indicate that the pharmaceutical industry launched a full-court lobbying campaign at the Chicago convention to thwart action by the physicians.

Big Pharma's line with the AMA was the same one to Congress: Don't ban drug ads; the industry is going to limit them voluntarily.

In view of the explosion of such advertising since the lifting of a previous federal ban in 1997, voluntary limits are not enough. The drug industry spent $1 billion a year on advertising before the ban was lifted. Now it's $4 billion and climbing, and only Americans living overseas are immune to the explosion.

The advertising message is very simple: "Ask your doctor if [Cialis, or Nexium, or Lipitor] is right for you."

This tends to assume that every patient needs prescription for expensive name-brand drugs for erectile dysfunction or acid reflux or high cholesterol. Less expensive generic substances work just as well, but the catchy brand ads prompt them to ask just the same.

Physicians realize the problem because they spend a significant portion of their office hours dealing with such queries. Sometimes, the doctors even enable the industry tactic by prescribing certain drugs against their own better judgment.

A recent study published in the AMA's own journal showed that primary-care physicians were five times as likely to write a prescription for an anti-depressant if the patient mentioned a specific name brand.

The AMA to want to have all the data it can get on direct-to-consumer ads, but some of the objections are weak, eg it is suggested a ban would violate the free-speech rights of the drug companies. If the federal government can ban tobacco advertising, it can ban harmful drug ads.

It is also interesting that the main reason Big Pharma want to block the availability of generic drugs online, is because generics spoil the returns required to make research viable. When the money spent on advertising is compared to the funds spent on research - the arguements of Big Pharma sound hollow.

The fact is as a percentage of pharmaceutical lines revenue other nations spend about the same as USA on research. Yet in other countries like Canada and Australia, pharmacy lines are up to 80% cheaper. So where is the big price difference you ask? Well we have just gone full circle, take a look at the advertising.

To discover the best prices please review a well respected directory DrugStoreBestBuys.com, which is packed with product and pharmacy service and price comparisons.

Top Pharmacies good Jive Network Replacements

2005-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Many people are now requesting a pharmacy to replace Jive Network - Epharmacist and PillAgent in particular.

The last correspondence we received from a Jive executive was that they expected to be operational again within a few weeks. However, that was over a month ago. It is unlikely we will see them re-open. Jive bank accounts and assets are still frozen.

Therefore we have carefully evaluated alternative pharmacies for you to consider. Top 7 brand supply USA based pharmacies and full ratings list.

The most successful delivery outcomes are from those of the USA based pharmacies, such as USAOnline or Direct-Pharmacy. There are many issues to consider.

Unfortunately, in relation to Jive Network, we will need to wait for an outcome , as we have no magic wand.

Our view is that the are many grey areas with online products that very powerful pharmaceutical manufacturers are trying to create. These pharma companies think the US market is wonderful for its high protection barriers created through their powerful government lobby. These protection barriers, implemented by FDA, many of whom are past pharma company executives, ensure pharmaceutical manufacturers can charge up to 500% more in the US than internationally.

The big pharma companies claim that their prices are justified in the US to cover the cost of research. The fact is that the rest of the world does not see expensive conventions in 5 star Hawaiian resorts, or six figure salaries for people only employed as Washington lobbyists, as research. In fact the proportion of the total revenue that is spent on research appears to be no higher than in countries where prices are much lower. This does not seem to slow the extensive research conducted by pharma companies outside of the USA.

There are cheaper online pharmacies on our complete list who say buyer beware - so we rate them at the bottom of our evaluation tables. The top 7 pharmacies we list, ship out a replacement delivery without question if you do not receive your order.

Frequent Question : Will Jive Pharmacies Reopen?

2005-06-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

The inability for anyone to the question of what is happening to Pill Agent, ePharmacist, PillStore, PillValue and CyberPills is leading to one conclusion.

Unfortunately, with the passing of time the likelihood of the Jive group of pharmacies fulfilling lost orders is nearly zero, in my opinion. They were closed on April 19. almost 2 months ago.

Your option at this point is to contact your credit card company and request a chargeback, citing non delivery and providing full details of charges incurred.

You need to start this process before the 90 days expires since your order was placed. For of you this will give you only 3 weeks.

We are very disappointed. I think the main reason they have not opened is their inability to regain control of their financial accounts, which were frozen pending investigation of the company operation. Basically, this approach has strangled the company until it stopped breathing.

Please stay tuned to this BLOG spot and we will continue to post updates to : Drug Store Best Buys Jive Pharmacy Group (ePharmacist, Pill Agent, PillStores, PillValue, CyberPills)

Sorry we could not bring you brighter news, other than we have several pharmacies that are operating very successfully in place of Jive. Please see best buys for brand and generic medications, Cialis, Levitra, Viagra, Uprima, weight loss pills, hair loss and zocor.

Subscription Pharmacies - Online Scam

2005-05-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

Increasing numbers of online pharmacy buyers are sending DrugStoreBestBuys.com editors emails outlining their concerns about subscription pharmacy charges.

A subscription pharmacy charges a non refundable fee, usually around $19.95 per month in return for very low price medications. Unfortunately, when you order the medication your order is declined.

Please read the information about this scam and DrugStore Best Buys pharmacies to avoid.

The Pharmacy Shark Patrol urges caution. Stop any on-going deduction of pharmacy membership fees, until you can verify that any order you place will be delivered at exactly the advertised price. From a very large subscriber base, we have yet to hear from any who have successfully ordered medications from a subscription pharmacy.

Please review the top 7 online pharmacies with their performance rating evaluation pages to find the best pharmacy prices with reliable deliveries for a wide range of medications.

Jive Network PillStore epharmacist PillValue CyberPill updates

2005-05-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

We believe Jive Network are trying to get back online and are clearing ePharmacist, PillStore, PillValue and CyberPill orders that were held up around April 19th. Over the past 2 weeks, they seem to be either refunding customers or sending product.

It is understood the Jive Network pharmacies will finally get back online, when their bank accounts and assets are fully back under their control.

No further notices have been issued since the update on April 30th., so really we are guessing at the timing and look of the new operation.

Please follow further updates on : http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/resources/jive-epharmacist-pillstore-cyberpills-update.htm

Pfizer Viagra Sales Rep in movie Deal

2005-05-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post yesterday reported a former Pfizer Viagra sales representative based in Chicago was negotiating movie rights for his new book. The book titled "Hard Sell": Evolution of a Viagra Salesman. The book proves to be interesting look at the marketing and antics behind making Viagra a world famous brand name.

To find out about the evolution of Pfizer Viagra and other Erectile Dysfunction pills like Cialis and Levitra that may help to solve erection problems please visit:
http://www.drugstorebestbuys.info/sex-enhancement/index.htm

Viagra Medicaid Debate

2005-04-30T07:50:00.000-07:00

Why is the US federal government forcing states to help pay for prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction through Medicaid?

In two years, the states will fork out over $60 million for Viagra and other drugs addressing erectile dysfunction.

While surely a horrible problem for those who suffer through it, erectile dysfunction is not something for which the government should be providing medication. Especially there are so many without even the most basic dental and other types of medical care.

"Providing emergency dental care to someone with an abscessed tooth should have more of a priority than Viagra," according to one House Speaker Jon Husted, a Republican from Dayton.

It's an amount that can be better utilized on something else, and the federal government should recognize that fact. Such as more affordable medical insurance or dental care for children.

By licensing online pharmacies to supply lifestyle prescription products, like Viagra, the costs can be lowered and medical funds reallocated more effectively. The person who needs Viagra will save money and avoid the embarasment of having to walking into a drug store for his medication.

The licensed online pharmacies will eliminate the blackmarket operators who will lose their demand through legitimate competion. Prohibition is an unmitigated disaster it only works for the criminal element. See arguements for and against this big debate at: http://www.drugstorebestbuys.info/psp-archive/psp-archive.htm

Jive Coming Back Online

2005-04-29T10:42:00.000-07:00

The following is an extract of a Jive Network email arrived a few minutes ago. http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/resources/jive-epharmacist-pillstore-cyberpills-update.htm

-----Original Message-----

From: PillAgent.com (Jive includes ePharmacist)
Sent: Saturday, 30 April 2005 2:48 AM
To: Clive Wallace

Subject: Vital Affiliate Notice from Jive Network

Dear Clive,
You may have heard the news that our offices were served with a search warrant last Tuesday, April 19th, 2005.
However, NO ARRESTS were made. No Charges were filed.
This is an obvious attempt by the DEA and FBI to try and lump us in with a group of 20 other companies/individuals that had been under investigation, and who WERE arrested around the same time.
We want to share with you that we are NOT related to nor connected with these 20 in any way.
Jive Network has ALWAYS done everything by the book and beyond. We have broken no laws.
We know that some of your orders are delayed....... because the search warrant also allowed them to seize all bank accounts..... ..... we want to assure you of this: As soon as we are able to correct it, we will.

As to the current status, late last week, we put the websites back online.
We have our internet connections and the equipment we need to start processing orders again. However, until our accounts and other matters are operational, we are not taking orders at this time.

Additionally, something is going on with our phone lines. This is likely part of this defamatory attempt on us, so we are working to uncover and resolve that problem as well.............

Lastly, to those of you that have emailed us telling us that you are with us, we want to express how sincerely all of us appreciate that support. We have read comments such as, "You guys are the best ever in the industry.........................". ................................

Please understand that the delay in sending you some kind of direct communication has been due to the circumstances of this situation,.....................

You can be sure that this situation will not stop us......................

While we are uncertain as to when we will come back online, you can be certain that when we do, our entire business will be stronger and even better than before. A team that has been through an event like this and stands firm, is a team that can accomplish anything..................

Sincerely,
Jive Network

Must an Online Pharmacy Be registered with the DEA?

2005-04-27T10:24:00.000-07:00

The actual physical location of the pharmacy which purchases, stores and dispenses controlled substances pursuant to prescription orders processed by the Internet site must be registered with DEA. The web site itself would not require a separate registration unless it is the same physical location, since the web site does not store or dispense controlled substances. For example, some Internet pharmacies maintain a central pharmacy warehouse site and offices where prescriptions are verified and substances shipped; this location must be registered with DEA as a retail pharmacy.

Other Internet sites allow patients to pick up their prescriptions for controlled substances from a local pharmacy; these local pharmacies must be registered with DEA. In this case, the Internet "pharmacy" has no obligations under DEA regulations because the responsibility for assuring compliance with DEA regulations rests with the actual pharmacy where the controlled substances are dispensed.
http://www.drugbuyers.com/members/dispensing_controlled_subs tances/

Future of Online Pharmacies

2005-04-26T04:08:00.000-07:00

There are many proposed rules being promoted - currently, the rights of advertisers and affiliates are being protected by the First Amendment.

Here's a link you should read.

http://www.revenuetoday.com/featurearticle_rev2.htm

The entire article is very useful. The most important part of it seems to be this quote:
“States are looking at taking action against the search engines and sites that allow (illegal) operations, but there are no guidelines for affiliates that advertise them,” said Carmen Catizone, executive director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. “And I don’t see any legislation coming down the pike to regulate that advertising.”

Here's another link to a legal opinion, you've probably read it already.

http://www.webmastervault.com/tip-online-pharmacy-legal-issues.shtml
and here's the bill that was introduced in Jan this year in senate. It was discussed but has not yet passed. If this is passed it may put the legal OP business out of business. It's a long bill, search for the keywords 'Internet Pharmacy' 'Advertise' , 'Advertising' and 'Links' on this page.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-184

The key paragraphs to date are these:
The First Amendment provides significant protection towards advertising as a form of commercial speech. The government’s ability to regulate advertising of online pharmacies is not coextensive with its ability to regulate the distribution of Internet-ordered prescription drugs, themselves. The prevailing test that has continuously been used by the courts to evaluate the legality of any particular advertising equation is known as the Central Hudson Test.

Under that Test, the court’s first duty is to determine whether the First Amendment applies at all. In doing so, the proper question is whether the advertisement concerns a lawful activity and is not misleading or fraudulent. That produces an interesting conundrum for the future reviewing courts, since the legality of online pharmacies in the United States is currently the subject of proposed legislation and heated controversy.

Moreover, if the online pharmacy is legal in the jurisdiction where it is licensed, that may suffice for purposes of this prong of the Central Hudson Test, although that remains undetermined.

Legal Online Pharmacies

2005-04-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

At one time Jude LaCour, owner of Jive was leading the fight to have legal online pharmacies recognised and asked for our support. Some affiliates listened and some acted. We all know how to use BLOGS, and PR content on your site to further the cause.

For site content please use or comment on the examples in : http://www.drugstorebestbuys.info/news/affiliate-index.htm

If prohibition of alcholol was so clever in the 1920's - why isn't it still in force? Or are some US legislators condemned to repeat the same mistakes of their grandfathers?

This time around people demand affordable healthcare. It would be nice if this can be provided by businesses run by their own countrymen. AND it needs to be a significant improvement on the so called Square Trade.

We need a more concerted media approach from everyone, not just a few. All the rest is just B.S platitudes.

If ever a call to action was needed surely this is it?

Online Pharmacy Epharmacist - Jive Network

2005-04-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

It is with regret we discovered the offices of Jive Network were closed yesterday morning, April 19th, 2005 as part of an investigation by DEA and FBI.

No charges have been laid and the owner of the online pharmacy group, Jude LaCour is not in custody and has not been charged with any offences.

To keep informed and check on alternative options for medications please follow the links
: http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/onlinepharmacieslist.htm

The Jive Network pharmacy sites that are currently offline are epharmacist, Pillvalue, Pillstore, InstantPills, Cyberpills and PillAgents.

We will keep you posted with on-going news.

Viagra may help treat enlarged hearts

2005-03-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

Researchers have found that Viagra (generic name sildenafil citrate) may block or even reverse heart enlargement.

The tests completed at John Hopkins University School of Medicine reversed some of the heart enlargement of mice with blood pressure stress. The leader of the research team Dr. David A. Kass claimed that Viagra may aid in the treatment of enlarged hearts that sometimes result from high blodd pressure.

This research finding came as no surprise to many in the medical field. It should be noted that sildenafil citrate was originally discovered by researchers studying blood pressure and heart disease.

Viagra, however, is effective only for a short time and it would need to be longer-acting to be useful in treating heart enlargement. Perhapse more recent impotence treatment drugs like Cialis (generic name tadalafil) may be more effective, given Cialis is a longer lasting medication.

Dr. Richard Devereux of Weill Cornell Medical College in New York agreed that sildenafil is too short-acting to be a practical medication for heart enlargement in humans. However, he did go on to say that the research constitutes a clue that is very exciting and potentially important.

The finding can propel a search for compounds related to sildenafil that are longer- acting and have similar heart benefits.

It appears the makers of Viagra - Pfizer did not participate in the new research. The researchers stressed that the makers of Viagra had no involvement in the design or support of their program.

Evergreening prescription drugs keeping prices high

2005-03-12T02:12:00.000-08:00

The OECD nations are challenged with the burgeoning cost of funding medication bills for baby boomers who are now moving from mid life to old age.

There are no simple answers, but fewer younger workers are now being asked to shoulder a greater welfare burden in countries with national health systems. While in countries like USA, the retirees are having to find the money themselves, if they can not afford a good medical insurance plan.

One idea is to lower the cost of medications. Supporting this drive is the fact that in countries like the USA, significant barriers exist to the entry of cheaper generic medications. The common practice of "evergreening" patents on minor changes holds up the introduction of competing generic medications that are often under 30% of the price of the brand medication.

EverGreening is a practice of extending a patent by 5 years on the basis of a change in formulation. Often these changes are spurious in their improvements and are simply a subterfuge to unreasonably extend the patent life.

Drug companies justify "evergreening" patents by claiming that they need to recover the cost for research. However, records in the public domain show that a very small portion of drug comapny revenue is invested in patent developments. This is particularly, true compared to the money invested in marketing, public realtions and promotions campaigns.

So the arguement to promote generic pills and medications needs to gain more prominence if we are to reduce welfare costs. The need to spend less on promotion and more on research to justify the high mark up on medication is another important agenda item for Governments.

To compare costs of generic medication to brand name you only need to visit online comparison sites to see the massive savings available. One example is a site: http://www.best-rx-pharmacy.com/ that compares generic Soma (a pain relief pill) with the brand name product. The brand name product, first released 2 decades ago is more than twice the price.

Supporters of intellectual property laws need to recognize the problems with the current system, such as innovators who seek to prolong patent protections against the public best interest. Governments must also recognize the understandable backlash when an aggressive and litigious strategy by a big drug company to expand the coverage of patents is perceived as an effort to prevent new competitors from entering the market.

The debate will innevitably be decided by consumer demand and the ability to pay for unfairly or unreasonably prolonged patents.

How to avoid fake online pills

2005-02-28T01:59:00.000-08:00

We receive several emails each month from people asking us to help them obtain online pharmacy service follow up or refunds. The reasons for the requests vary from product never delivered to wrong or fake product delivered.

By far the easiest problem to avoid is buying from the wrong pharmacies. There are still people who will buy prescription medication from SPAM mail. Do not buy from SPAM emails for 3 main reasons:
1) The company you are buying from will probably disappear very quickly.
2) The products offered are probably fake.
3) The return address shown on the email is probably hijacked from a genuine website used by the SPAMMER to cover their tracks.

When you click through to the SPAMMERS website you think you may save money, mostly you just loose your money. Then when you write to the return address you find that it is a hijacked contact.

DrugStoreBestBuys.com will always try get to the bottom of any enquiry and get back to you with possible solutions.

However, the research and evaluation tables we produce are accurately maintained and we act on feedback. Please use the pharmacies rating list to compare pharmacies before making any purchases: http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/onlinepharmacieslist.htm

DrugStoreBestBuys.com follow up ensures our listed Pharmacies do not try short cuts and actually work on service improvements. Those that do not make the grade are relegated in the list to low ratings or worse the AVOID list. You can find these pharmacies at: http://www.drugstorebestbuys.com/avoid.htm

DrugStoreBestBuys.com is a driving force for service improvement online. We are doing what the government should do, instead of taking their instructions from big pharma.

DrugStoreBestBuys.com is working as an independent watchdog to alert consumers against bad operators and to help obtain follow up services for consumers. We do not prohibit competition, we enhance competition by pushing online pharmacies to lift service standards for the benefit of consumers.

The current USA system is set up as a massive barrier to anything that can compete with big pharma to bring prices down. As a result US consumers are paying up to 5 times more for their medication than many other democratic countries.

Please help us to reduce costs and keep big pharma competitive by completing an online Pharmacy Shark Patrol Survey.

Regards

About Square Trade

2005-02-13T15:49:00.000-08:00

A number of people have enquired about Square Trade. It acts as a mechanism to block overseas pharmacies and affiliates. Very simply it only accepts USA and I think Canadian registrations.

Many people have written about Square Trade. We have some news articles that are worth reviewing and reports that have come in from people who also followed up. Please review visit : Archived affiliate Bulletins http://www.drugstorebestbuys.info/psp-archive/psp-archive.htm and review LowBall Pill Price Scam Uncovered? - 25th August 2004.

The opportunity to develop marketing programs are limited to a few areas - Google and Overture are not available - the bad operators in the OP business have made it very difficult for the companies who are trying to do the right thing.

One advertising avenue you could try is: www.metricsdirect.com IT allows you to set a budget on a low base to get started.
Have you subscribed to the Pharmacy Shark Patrol for news bulletins?
If you wish you can subscribe on the above link.

Affiliate with the best Online Pharmacies

2005-01-06T17:48:00.000-08:00

Affiliate with the best Online Pharmacies

Not all of the pharmacies we have worked with or investigated are listed here.
Pharmacies to avoid list contains some who were moved there after poor support, product quality or persistent performance concerns.

Be wary where you invest your time and money. Remember the rule: "If it sounds too good to be true - then it probably is." Be wary of the "set your own price pharmacies" as the difference usually comes out of your commission. Low prices can mean a site based on spam sales where you do the work, do not get paid and get blacklisted.

Also, watch out for the "run your own pharmacy offers", if you do not know what you are doing, you will loose money. There is more to legitimate distribution, secure financing and dealing with international customs regulations than meets the eye.

When you sign up through DrugStores Best Buys on any of our top rating suppliers, we will support you to make money despite the many traps and pitfalls in this market.

Welcome to the Pharmacy Shark Patrol

2005-01-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Do you know which Pharmacy to trust?
Visit the Pharmacy Ratings Page on Drugstore Best Buys

With so many sites coming online everyday it is important to know which sites you can use to safely access the medications that you need. There are many scam sites and fake suppliers.

We have recently conducted a survey to determine the top online medication suppliers. The page linked above now has a table of the best suppliers at the top.

For peace of mind when ordering online please refer to this list.