Americans seeking affordable healthcare solutions often turn to generic pharmaceuticals from countries like India. However, they face significant barriers in using common payment methods such as Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and Venmo to purchase these medications. This article explores how shadow regulation, particularly by LegitScript, influences payment processors to block transactions related to online pharmacies, and how Big Pharma and government collusion perpetuate these obstacles. The narrative portrays online generic pharmacies as fraudulent, while in reality, this is a form of commercial protectionism benefitting a select few.
LegitScript and Shadow Regulation
LegitScript is a private organization that plays a significant role in regulating online pharmacies. It provides certification for internet pharmacies, ensuring they meet specific standards. However, LegitScript’s criteria are influenced by Big Pharma interests, leading to stringent restrictions on pharmacies that do not align with these interests. Payment processors like Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, and Venmo rely on LegitScript’s certification to determine whether to process transactions related to online pharmacies​​.
Payment Processor Restrictions
LegitScript’s influence over payment processors results in widespread restrictions on transactions involving online pharmacies that sell generic medications from India. These payment platforms, under pressure from LegitScript, refuse to process payments, effectively barring American consumers from accessing affordable generic drugs. This creates a significant barrier to obtaining necessary medications at lower prices​.
Big Pharma’s Influence and Government Collusion
Lobbying and Financial Influence:
Big Pharma exerts considerable influence over the U.S. government through extensive lobbying efforts. In 2019, the pharmaceutical industry spent nearly $295 million on lobbying, making it one of the highest spending sectors. This financial clout ensures that policies favor the interests of pharmaceutical companies, maintaining high drug prices and limiting competition from generics​.
FDA Funding and Enforcement:
The FDA, responsible for drug regulation, receives about 75% of its drug review funding from user fees paid by pharmaceutical companies. This funding model creates a conflict of interest, where the FDA may prioritize the interests of Big Pharma over public health. This influence extends to enforcement actions against online pharmacies, further limiting access to affordable medications​​.
Portraying Online Pharmacies as Fraudulent
Misleading Information:
Organizations like LegitScript and Big Pharma-funded groups often portray online generic pharmacies as fraudulent, dangerous, and unreliable. They emphasize risks such as counterfeit drugs and lack of proper regulation, creating a negative perception among consumers. This portrayal is part of a broader strategy to protect market share and maintain high drug prices in the U.S.​.
Commercial Protectionism:
The narrative that online pharmacies are inherently dangerous serves as a form of commercial protectionism. By discrediting these sources, Big Pharma and its allies prevent competition from generic manufacturers in countries like India. This ensures that Americans remain dependent on high-priced medications available domestically, benefiting pharmaceutical companies and their political allies​​.
The Reality of Online Generic Pharmacies
Quality and Safety:
Contrary to the negative portrayals, many online pharmacies in India operate under stringent quality control measures and are certified by international regulatory bodies like the WHO and FDA. These pharmacies offer high-quality, affordable medications that are essential for individuals who cannot afford the high prices of branded drugs in the U.S.
Economic and Health Benefits:
Access to affordable generic medications from online pharmacies can significantly reduce healthcare costs for American consumers. It allows individuals to manage chronic conditions effectively without financial strain, improving overall health outcomes. Despite the clear benefits, shadow regulation and misinformation continue to hinder this access​.
Conclusion
The barriers preventing Americans from using Visa, MasterCard, PayPal, Venmo, and other payment methods to order generic pharmaceuticals from India are rooted in a complex web of shadow regulation, corporate interests, and government collusion. Organizations like LegitScript, influenced by Big Pharma, impose restrictions that payment processors enforce, effectively blocking access to affordable medications. This narrative, portraying online pharmacies as fraudulent, serves the interests of a select few at the expense of public health. To address this issue, greater transparency and a reevaluation of regulatory practices are necessary to ensure that Americans can access the medications they need at prices they can afford.
References:
- “Pharmaceutical Industry Lobbying.” OpenSecrets. Retrieved from OpenSecrets.org.
- “LegitScript: The Shadow Regulator.” PharmacyChecker Blog. Retrieved from PharmacyCheckerBlog.com.
- “FDA User Fees and Pharmaceutical Influence.” PubMed. Retrieved from PubMed.
- “Impact of Payment Processor Restrictions on Online Pharmacies.” Journal of Medical Internet Research. Retrieved from JMIR.org.
- “The Real Risks and Benefits of Online Pharmacies.” National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Retrieved from NABP.net.
