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Consumer protection is top priority for the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), which is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). It is responsible for providing protection to consumers of various products and advancing the public's health by supporting innovations that improve the safety and performance of these products. Part of the job of the FDA is to protect the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use. LegitScript, founded by John Horton in 2007, complements the efforts of the FDA by monitoring and policing Internet drug distributors selling low cost drugs of questionable quality through illegitimate websites. LegitScript is a free service for consumers and the only corporate entity whose standards for online pharmacy verification and investigation are recognized by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) Despite its name, the NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy) is an international association which assists state licensing boards in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards relating to pharmacies. Over a decade ago the NABP developed the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites or VIPPS program to accredit online pharmacies. In a 2004 press release the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended VIPPS to consumers as "one method to help minimize the risks of getting bad quality drugs from disreputable sources." By the end of 2008, a partnership developed between the Internet pharmacy verification and the monitoring service LegitScript. A component of the Executive Office of the U.S. President, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) was initially created by the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988. The policy goal at that time was for a drug-free America. The ONDCP was assigned the tasks of setting priorities, implementing a national strategy and certifying the annual federal budget for drug control policy. After five years of working as an aid for ONDCP (affectionately known as the “Drug Czar”), John Horton founded LegitScript with the intent of helping people make certain that they are buying safe and genuine prescription medication on the Internet. Amidst all of the acronyms and official sounding mission statements of the various governmental and public agencies, one name seems to reoccur: LegitScript. Behind this effective monitoring service is a private citizen who has given the public a convenient way to verify the legitimacy of online drug distributors. As LegitScript continues to work alongside the various governmental entities and private companies, Internet users can be assured that someone is looking for their safety. Author’s Biography: John Horton is President and Founder of LegitScript, and a former aide in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). After five years working for the “Drug Czar,” John Horton founded LegitScript with the intent of helping people be sure that they are buying safe and genuine prescription medication on the Internet. LegitScript, is an internet enforcement service group, that has been successfully investigating sites to determine whether or not such sites are in compliance with the law and accepted standards of medical and pharmacy practice ethics.
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legitscript, John Hortion, Consumer protection, health,
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