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.PHARMACY Domain to be Released this Fall

csip_slide_dotpharmacyThis fall, the .PHARMACY generic top-level domain (gTLD) will become available to legitimate online pharmacies. The use of this gTLD will denote that an online pharmacy is a secure and trustworthy destination where consumers can be sure the medications they buy online are authentic and safe. Through our blog, we have been following the process of the .PHARMACY gTLD becoming operational, including when it passed the initial ICANN inspection and the testing process  to ensure that NABP and its partners have the capacity to operate it in a stable and secure way.

Recently, a global coalition of stakeholders collaborated to develop eligibility requirements to ensure that only website operators that adhere to pharmacy laws will be able to register .PHARMACY domain names. It was determined that all eligible sites must meet applicable regulatory standards, including pharmacy licensure, drug authenticity and valid prescription requirements in the jurisdictions where they are based and where they serve patients.

The next step before .PHARMACY gTLDs become operational is the registry on-boarding process, which includes testing to ensure that NABP and its technical partners have the capacity to operate the new .PHARMACY gTLD in a stable and secure manner. Additionally, as the registry operator, NABP will contract with registrars that agree to ensure domain name registrants are in compliance with the established .PHARMACY standards. For more information, please visit the .PHARMACY website.

At CSIP, we believe that the .PHARMACY gTLD will a helpful tool for consumers to identify safe pharmacy websites and avoid rogue online pharmacies. We suggest that consumers take additional measures to ensure that online health purchases are safe by using CSIP partner LegitScript’s Pharmacy Verification Tool.

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The Center for Safe Internet Pharmacies (CSIP) and our 13 member companies have the shared goal of helping address the growing problem of consumer access to illegitimate pharmaceutical products on the Internet. Continue to read this blog for updates on CSIP’s education, enforcement and information-sharing efforts.