ALLIANCE FOR SAFE ONLINE PHARMACIES

CONSUMER EDUCATION. ASOP CONTINUED TO INVEST RESOURCES TO BETTER DEVELOP THE AVAILABLE DATA AND RESEARCH RELATED TO CONSUMER AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDER BEHAVIOR AND UTILIZATION OF ONLINE PHARMACIES AND INTERNET-BASED HEALTHCARE SERVICES. RESULTS FROM STUDIES WERE CIRCULATED TO KEY POLICYMAKERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, AND USED TO ENGAGE WITH MEDIA, TO HIGHLIGHT THE LACK OF AWARENESS AND MISCONCEPTION AMERICAN CONSUMERS HAVE OF PURCHASING DRUGS ONLINE. THE SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS FROM THE SURVEY WERE INCLUDED IN 10 MEDIA PIECES AND EMPHASIZED IN OVER 30 INTERVIEWS IN WHICH ASOP PARTICIPATED. ASOP TRACKED THE DE-INDEXING OF DOMAIN NAMES ON SEARCH ENGINE PLATFORMS PURSUANT TO FDA WARNING LETTERS WITH CONCURRENT REVIEWS OF THE AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF POTENTIALLY COUNTERFEIT OR SUBSTANDARD PRODUCTS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. THE FINDINGS WERE SHARED IN VARIOUS MEETINGS TO HELP KEY AGENCIES CONSIDER A SEARCH ENGINE APPROACH TO STRENGTHEN THEIR ABILITY TO TAKE ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST WEBSITES MENTIONED IN WARNING LETTERS.LEGISLATIVE ADVOCACY OF LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD DECREASE ILLEGAL ONLINE DRUG SALES. ASOP ADVISED AND EDUCATED PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS (INCLUDING PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, MEMBERS OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION CHAIN, REGULATORS, AND POLICYMAKERS) OF THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH ILLEGAL ONLINE PHARMACIES AND THREATS ASSOCIATED WITH THE IMPORTATION OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES. ASOP ISSUED 24 PRESS RELEASES AND STATEMENTS ON FEDERAL ACTIONS RELATED TO DRUG IMPORTATION, ACCESS TO WHOIS DATA, FAKE COVID-19 ONLINE SCAMS, AND MORE. ASOP JOINED TWO COALITIONS WITH SIMILAR POLICY PRIORITIES AND PARTICIPATED IN ADVANCING THE GROUPS' ALIGNED GOALS AND MISSION. BY ENGAGING IN ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS WITH MULTI-DISCIPLINARY STAKEHOLDERS, ASOP HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE THE EXISTING SUPPLY CHAIN THREATS AND CONSUMER HARMS TO BROADER AND DIVERSE AUDIENCES. EDUCATE GLOBAL HEALTH REGULATORS THROUGH A SERIES OF BRIEFINGS. ASOP ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL FORUMS TO EDUCATE STAKEHOLDERS AND REGULATORS ON SAFE ONLINE PHARMACY PRACTICES, COMPLIANCE WITH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL LAW AND PRACTICE STANDARDS, AND DEVELOPMENT OF ROBUST LEGAL AND REGULATORY SCHEMES AIMED AT ENSURING PUBLIC HEALTH AND PATIENT SAFETY. BEYOND CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT WITH DOMESTIC REGULATORS AND POLICYMAKERS, ASOP ENGAGED WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN CANADA, THE EU, AND OTHER AREAS TO PROVIDE POLICY BRIEFINGS AND RELEVANT INFORMATION TO THESE PARTNERS.