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Customer Complaints and Online Pharmacies
Online Pharmacies provide customers with the ability to order prescription medications over the internet.
This means that their medicine will likely be prescribed and filled by a United States licensed Physician/Pharmacy not previously known to them.
It also means that should they have any questions or cause for complaint, regarding the process, customer service, medication or prescribing, they do not have the ability to raise their concerns face to face.
Therefore, the IPB requests its members (both affiliates and Ops) to adopt a robust complaints process that will ensure the following:
Simple and clear customer communication of complaint
Fast, seamless resolution of the complaint
Clear complaint tracking, which can be made available to appropriate authorities should this ever be necessary
A means to identify problem issues with the process, service, Pharmacy and Physicians
A means to ensure appropriate action is taken where problem issues are identified
A process that appends to existing measures already in place via appropriate State Boards and regulatory bodies
The following process covers minimum requirements. Should an OP choose to include additional Best Practise measures in their Complaints Process, then all the better.
Complaints Process
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Website Requirements
OPs should detail their complaints process on the website and provide a complaint form that a customer can complete online to submit their complaint
Affiliates should detail the OPs complaints process on their branded website and provide a complaint form that a customer can complete online to submit6 their complaint (ideally this should be sent directly to the OP with the affiliate ID provided to ensure affiliate feedback.)
Regular Actions Required By OP
Review Complaints log weekly and attempt to resolve any outstanding resolutions
Review complaints log monthly and document/report any patterns to senior manager (e.g. one Physician receiving several similar complaints) via the issues log.
Senior Manager to review complaints log and issues log quarterly and take appropriate action where any patterns emerge (e.g. complaints received about Pharmacy shipping out of date meds, write letter to Pharmacy requesting an explanation, consider reporting to appropriate State Board of Pharmacy, consider dropping Pharmacy)
Send copy of completed complaints register and issues log (even if blank) to IPB Quarterly for review.
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For additional information, please contact us
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