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The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU

Acronym: ASOP EU

General Information

Identification Code: 273334013697-74
Website: [object Object]
Entity Form: Community Interest Company
Registration Category: Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar
Registration Date: 5/27/2014
Last Update: 2/2/2024
EP Accredited Number: 0

Mission & Interests

Goals: The Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU (ASOP EU: www.asop.eu) is united by a single objective; that by taking concerted voluntary actions, and campaigning for appropriate legislation, a safer environment for patients who choose to buy their medicines online can be created. ASOP EU comprises a number of supporters, members and observers including representatives from consumer, healthcare and patient groups, shippers, branded and generic pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacy stakeholders, wholesalers, traders, advertising networks, internet advertising and search companies and market places, law enforcement and regulatory bodies. Similar organisations also exist in the United States, in particular the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies - Global (ASOP: http://buysaferx.pharmacy). ASOP EU is actively involved with all global actors and seeks to cooperate closely with Europol, Interpol, EUIPO, OECD and the Council of Europe allied with the Medicrime Convention activities
Interests Represented: Does not represent commercial interests
Interests:
  • Consumers
  • Digital economy and society
  • Fraud prevention
  • Public health
  • Single market
Levels of Interest:
  • national
  • sub-national
  • european
  • global

Activities

Main EU Legislative Proposals: Campaigning to ensure that implementation of the Falsified Medicines Directive continues to be successful, particularly the implementation of the safety features in the hospital sector which became mandatory on February 9th 2019 as well as the Common Logo. These will be achieved by raising public awareness through educational campaigns as well as EU Parliament roundtables. And also by collaboration with appropriate government medical regulatory bodies. Close liaison with its sister global organisation ASOP Global and also other non-profit organisations, such NABP and Fight the Fakes, to effect the best collaboration to support each other's goals. In 2021/2/3, ASOP EU has been campaigning to ensure the Digital Services Act and NIS2 covers the appropriate areas of the Internet, especially all Intermediaries and to ensure transparency of any business entity (by the provision of genuine and proven contact details). More recently ASOP EU has been campaigning for prescription medicines to be obtained online. Currently 8 Member States have allowed this for many years. A recent report carried out (Q4 2023) by an independent company - Copenhagen Economics amogst 5 Member Sates (n=5000) provided concrete evidence of the benefits especially to the chronically ill in terms of convenience and in term of convenience (time saving amongst other criteria) as well as enhance adherence to treatment regimens.
Communication Activities: The organisation has completed in 2018 a comprehensive educational campaign via the use of Search engine "adwords" via a Google AdWord Grant which can help the patient and consumer find educational information that will help them to buy their medicines online (where it is legal to do so) more safely. In 2023 ASOP EU will further its involvement with public facing campaigns by collaborating with Member States agencies responsible for the administration and oversight of the Common Logo to support the initiation of public facing campaigns to educate the public on falsified medicines. A survey amongst 12 Member States was completed and many were in agreement to collaborate further and share good practices. In 2019 the ASOP EU was acknowledged as a contributor to a significant OECD/EUIPO report Illicit Trade - Trade in Pharmaceutical Products https://euipo.europa.eu/ohimportal/en/web/observatory/trade-in-counterfeit-pharmaceutical-products. ASOP EU is an active supporter and member of the Advisory group of the NABP top level domain .pharmacy https://nabp.pharmacy/programs/dotpharmacy/#:~:text=NABP%20reviews%20pharmacies%20with%20an,to%20the%20verified%20websites%20list. In 2021 ASOP EU received official "Observer" status of the MediCrime Convention - The Committee of the Parties and has been contributing to the development of this international convention by submitting activities that will potentially enhance the effectiveness of the MediCrime Convention. These were presented in Strasbourg in Q3 2023, in a Plenary session where three activities were recommended 1. Alignment with the DSA 2. Market research to track and monitor progress of any in-country anti-counterfeiting initiatives 3. the adoption of a Top level Domain Name such as the NABP DotPharmacy suffix. ASOP EU has been campaigning to extend the scope of the Digital Services Act and to establish the KYBC principles for all intermediaries and has written letters to the EU parliament/Council and the Commission https://www.kybc.eu/media-positions/#open-letters. In addition it has contributed to the policy inputs on the NIS2 and will support at a country level to ensure that the transposition is as robust as possible. ASOP EU is now following the implementation of the DSA and supporting where it can with DG CONNECT. ASOP EU are Civil Society members of the EUIPO Observatory and has contributed to the Expert groups namely, Domain Names and more recently on the Search Engine work stream. ASOP EU was invited to join the KYBC UK Community and to support this with a patient safety evidence and to help build a healthcare KYBC UK community. ASOP EU is also championing the potential instrument that would, using a Google algorithm, identify and then demote websites selling illicit medicines to low search engine pages. ASOP EU will be holding a EU Parliament meeting on 12th February 2024 hosted by MEP Stelios Kympouropoulos the title of which is "The EU Pharmaceutical legislation - why should online access to prescription medicines be allowed?" within the framework of the Revision of the GPL.
Inter-institutional or Unofficial Groupings: Artificial intelligence and digital

Head Office

Address: London Road, 1386
Post Code: SS9 2UJ
City: Leigh on Sea
Country: UNITED KINGDOM
Phone: [object Object]

EU Office

Address: 20 Madeira Park
Post Code: TN2 5SX
City: Tunbridge Wells
Country: UNITED KINGDOM
Phone: [object Object]

Financial Data

New Organisation: false
Closed Year: [object Object]
Current Year: [object Object]

Membership Information

Members10 Percent: 0
Members25 Percent: 0
Members50 Percent: 1
Members75 Percent: 0
Members: 1
Members F T E: 0.5
Info Members: The ASOP EU coalition implements a series of activities with its supporters, members and observers with a major focus on raising public awareness, catalysing voluntary sector actions and campaigning for improvements to policy and legislation. Members participate through teleconferencing and key face to face meetings in close liaison with its ASOP Global counterpart with whom it has a MOU. This is a vital area of activity to protect patients from the rising tide of falsified / counterfeit medicines across Europe and the world. We would urge you to join this important patient safety initiative.

Structure

Structure Type: Structure
Is Member Of: https://buysaferx.pharmacy/eu/asop-eu-members-and-observers/
Organisation Members: EU Health Coalition https://www.euhealthcoalition.eu/ KYBC community www.kybc.eu NABP .pharmacy support group https://nabp.pharmacy/programs/dotpharmacy/#:~:text=NABP%20reviews%20pharmacies%20with%20an,to%20the%20verified%20websites%20list. EUIPO Civil Society member Established as an "Official Observer" of the Committee of Parties - Medicrime Convention