April 2020 - Newsletter #3

Covid-19 Fuels Surge in Fake Drugs

Drug shortages caused by the coronavirus are fueling a surge in fake medicines, as reported recently by the British Broadcasting Corporation. While low and middle income countries are particularly susceptible, high income countries are also not immune and low and middle income countries provide a significant portion of the raw materials and finished dosages that are found on the shelves of drugstores in the United States, Canada and elsewhere. But the problem of counterfeit drugs is not a new phenomenon. It has been prevalent for years.

In various previous newsletters issued since the start of the coronavirus crisis, we’ve referenced disruptions in the worldwide pharmaceutical supply chain as one cause of delayed delivery times for orders. Indeed, those supply disruptions appear to be affecting pharmacies in the United States as well. (We urge you to read our updated detailed account of the situation to be informed of all the factors impacting delivery times during the coronavirus crisis.)

The positive news is that we are receiving stocks, albeit at a slower rate than normal, as wholesalers and manufacturers are rationing orders from pharmacies to help ensure there is supply for everyone. But we are working tirelessly to secure additional stock for distribution as quickly as we can and these efforts have been quite successful to date. Still, we would like to be in a position in which we can acquire fresh inventory to fill orders at a much faster rate but acquiring prescription drugs to fill customer orders is not like buying most other consumer goods that are not at risk of counterfeit and are not ingested or absorbed into our bodies or essential to our health and well-being.

We are acutely aware that timely delivery of your vital prescription medications is of critical importance. But drug authenticity is a paramount concern to us and we know it is to you too. NorthWestPharmacy.com implements a number of safety procedures and supplier vetting protocols and has successfully supplied millions of prescription and non-prescription products to consumers for more than a decade. When it comes to our suppliers, we review among other things, proper fulfillment procedures, government approvals and product pedigree. It may surprise customers to know that the number of suppliers through which we procure products is necessarily small and our vetting criteria means we have not approved any new supplier applications for several years. It is very important to maintain a small list of approved suppliers that are well-established pharmaceutical procurement specialists who are keenly aware of their local markets and who have robust supply capabilities. We only affiliate with pharmacies and international fulfillment centers that meet the Canadian International Pharmacy Association's stringent safety protocols.

That’s why our newsletters explaining the reasons for the coronavirus-related delay in the delivery of many orders reiterate:

All of this takes additional time and makes exceptional demands upon our various personnel. We are incredibly proud of our personnel who have continued to make our customers and our operations among their top priorities during a time when they are also worried about their own families. In light of all this, we sincerely appreciate your utmost patience and understanding.

The disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain are resulting in our paying higher product acquisition costs, which we have continued to absorb since the coronavirus crisis began. But we do not anticipate being able to absorb the further price increases that we may face in procuring prescription drugs through our trusted supply channels. We apologize in advance for any forthcoming price increases you may observe. We hope they will be temporary.

We encourage customers to who may need medications in the coming months to place their orders now and those whose pending orders await shipping to keep their orders active and in the queue, which ensures they are locked in at the original price quoted at the time of placing the order. That’s beneficial to you because we’ve absorbed most of the coronavirus-related increases in product acquisition costs that we’ve faced to date but may be unable to do so for much longer. Also, the limited pharmaceutical supply, available cargo space for transport and customs clearances will all be allocated to customers on a first-come-first-served basis and it may be quite some time before worldwide drug supply and delivery systems return to normal. Until such time, orders are no longer being billed at the time they are placed. We will hold your billing information but you won’t be billed until your order is dispensed by our pharmacists and ready to be shipped. But, if for any reason you are unable to wait, you can cancel and you won’t be billed for any item that has not been shipped. (Fortunately, most orders are being shipped within 10 days from the date they are placed by the customer.)

NorthWestPharmacy.com is one of the largest and most established online pharmacies providing lower cost medications from abroad to customers worldwide. No competitor offering lower cost pharmaceuticals from abroad can match our supply and delivery capacity during this difficult time so please rest assured we are leveraging all our capacity to ensure orders reach customers as fast as possible in the circumstances.

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