Pharmacy Complaints Reporting Process

The provided article outlines the process for reporting complaints about online pharmacies to Trustname. It defines what constitutes an "abusive" or "illegal" online pharmacy and clarifies the specific, limited actions Trustname, as a domain registrar, can take in response to such complaints. The process is designed to guide users on what they can do and what to expect after submitting a report.

Key Takeaways

• Definition of Abusive Pharmacies – An online pharmacy is considered abusive if it sells fake, unlicensed, or adulterated medication; dispenses regulated drugs without a licensed pharmacist; or provides prescription drugs without a valid prescription.
• Prioritized Action for Opioids – Trustname takes immediate and strict action against sites that distribute opioids, including synthetic ones like fentanyl. Other cases are subject to a longer verification process.
• Limited Authority as a Registrar –Trustname's role is limited to managing domain names, not policing website content. They can only take action on a domain if they receive a valid court order or a request from an ICANN recognized authority.
• Verification Process – For non-opioid complaints, Trustname requests the pharmacy's license. If a valid license is not provided within 5 days, the domain may be deactivated within 30 days. However, a valid license will resolve the complaint.
• No Guarantees or Updates – Submitting a complaint to Trustname does not guarantee a specific outcome, and you will not receive updates on the evaluation or resolution of the complaint. The process is tracked internally to improve anti-abuse measures.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Key Takeaways
• Definition
• Your Action Plan
• What Will Happen
• Please Keep In Mind
• Remember

Definition

An online pharmacy may be considered abusive, illegal, or rogue if it is selling :

• Fake, adulterated, or unlicensed medication;
• Genuine or regulated medication but not dispensed by a licensed pharmacist;
• Prescription drugs without requiring valid prescriptions (Rx); or
• Opioids.

In other cases, we ask the site to provide us with their license to operate in their jurisdiction within 5 days. If the site does not have a valid license or does not provide a pharmacy certificate within this timeframe, the domain may be deactivated within 30 days. It takes some time to verify the validity of a license with a third party.

Be aware that a website that appears to be an illegal pharmaceutical supplier may actually be legally licensed to operate in another jurisdiction (e.g. India). The global nature of the Internet means that it connects people from different regions who, for various reasons, may not have access to medical care and prescription drugs. Some of these individuals may be in urgent need of critical medications, including anti-HIV drugs, antiviral treatments, antibiotics, and generic drugs for hepatitis C. This situation requires a nuanced understanding of the international scope of online pharmaceutical services.

Your Action Plan

Submit a report via our Abuse Report Form - Pharmacy Complaint.

What Will Happen

Upon receipt of such a request via our Abuse Report Form, Trustname will :

• Respond with a case number.
• Request the site to provide us with their license to do business; we work with a third party to review these licenses for validity. This may take up to 30 days.
• In addition, we may request any type of evidence from the online pharmacy confirming that it is operating legally in its jurisdiction (e.g. India). If a license or pharmacy certificate is provided, the matter is considered resolved because the Internet is global in nature.
• Add the site and the category, date, and resolution of your complaint to our internal database. Your personal information will not be recorded there.
• If the site does not have a valid license or fails to provide a pharmacy certificate within 5 business days, or is involved in illegal activity by distributing drugs, the domain will be disabled within 30 days. Sites that distribute opioids will be suspended within 7 days.

Please Keep In Mind

• We cannot guarantee any particular outcome, but we will review your complaint and contact you only if necessary.
• Your complaint will be evaluated on its merits and addressed as appropriate.
• You will not receive any updates regarding the evaluation or outcome of the complaint. It is entirely at the discretion of the domain registrant whether or not to respond to you.
• We reserve the right to use your complaint to prove abuse to our customer, if necessary.
• Complaints are tracked by our team for the purpose of improving anti-abuse processes and mitigating threats.
• If you submit your report using the Abuse Report Form, you will not receive further notification of receipt for additional submissions from your email address within 24 hours.
• The support code to submit this type of abuse report is S7Q-OXY-Y9W.

Remember

• Limited Role – Domain name Registrars, such as Trustname, only maintain the system of domain names (example.org) that uniquely identify websites. They are not responsible for the content of the sites to which those domain names point. This means that if you dislike a site or its content, you should first contact the domain owner, then the service that hosts the site (web hosting service), and, if necessary, your local law enforcement authorities. As a domain Registrar, we can only act on court orders issued by or domesticated in the courts of Estonia, Germany, Canada, or the United States.
• ICANN Compliance – According to the ICANN Registrar Accreditation Agreement (RAA) and Estonian law, as a Registrar, we are not authorized to take independent action against a domain based on third-party allegations. The responsibility for content and activities related to a domain lies with its administrator. However, in accordance with our role as an accredited Registrar, we will take action against a domain administrator if we receive a valid court order or a request from an ICANN-recognized authority.
• Our responsibilities – As a Registrar include addressing issues such as Botnets, Malware, Pharming, Phishing, Spam, DNS security threats, and trademark infringement, as detailed by ICANN refer to. For more information and our recommended solutions to these issues, please take a look at the related articles on ICANN's website.