MOUNT PROSPECT, Ill., March 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy(R) (NABP(R)) is one of only 21 organizations nationally to receive an Award of Excellence in the first round of the 2009 Associations Advance America (AAA) Awards program, a national competition sponsored by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) & The Center for Association Leadership, Washington, DC.

NABP, based in Mount Prospect, IL, received the award for its Internet Drug Outlet Identification program. One of 140 entries for the AAA award, this program is now in the running to receive a Summit Award, ASAE & The Center's top recognition for association programs, to be presented in ceremonies at ASAE's 10th Annual Summit Awards Dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, on September 29, 2009.

"NABP is honored to have been selected by ASAE for this prestigious award," says NABP President Rich Palombo, RPh. "Our mission has always been to protect the public health, and this program represents a strong demonstration of that commitment. We are proud to receive this recognition for our efforts to bring about positive change."

NABP launched its Internet Drug Outlet Identification program in May 2008 to educate patients on the potential dangers of buying medications online and to empower them to make informed choices. NABP program staff reviews and monitors Web sites selling prescription drugs and distinguishes those sites that do, and do not, comply with state and federal laws and/or NABP patient safety and pharmacy practice standards. NABP developed these standards with input from several industry, professional, regulatory, and consumer groups, including the United States Food and Drug Administration and the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Those Internet drug outlets that appear to be operating in conflict with program criteria - 1,753 of them, as of February 27, 2009, or 98% of the total number of sites reviewed - are listed on the NABP Web site as Not Recommended.

By dispensing drugs that are unapproved and potentially counterfeit, frequently without a valid prescription, these rogue sites pose a significant risk to the public health. Such findings underscore the importance of this project and other efforts to contain the Web-based distribution of prescription drugs within the appropriate legal and regulatory framework.

NABP also posts a list of Recommended Internet pharmacies that are accredited through the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites(TM) (VIPPS(R)) program. NABP has verified that these pharmacies are appropriately licensed and have successfully completed the well-recognized and rigorous VIPPS criteria evaluation and on-site inspection. These lists, along with program criteria and related patient information, are accessible in the Internet Pharmacies section of the NABP Web site, http://www.nabp.net.

Now in its 19th year, the prestigious AAA Awards program recognizes associations that propel America forward - with innovative projects in education, skills training, standards-setting, business and social innovation, knowledge creation, citizenship, and community service. Although association activities have a powerful impact on everyday life, they often go unnoticed by the general public.

"NABP's program truly embodies the spirit of the Associations Advance America campaign," says 2008-2009 AAA Committee Chair Janet C. Gibbs, chief financial officer for Feeding America. "It is an honor and an inspiration to showcase this activity as an example of the many contributions associations are making to advance American society."

NABP is the independent, international, and impartial Association that assists its member boards and jurisdictions in developing, implementing, and enforcing uniform standards for the purpose of protecting the public health.

SOURCE National Association of Boards of Pharmacy

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