MYDAWA has become the first online pharmacy in Africa and part of the top 4% globally to earn the LegitScript certification that verifies internet operated pharmacies as safe, credible and trustworthy.
A LegitScript certification is a stamp of approval to online pharmacies and other healthcare companies, addiction treatment centres and eye-wear merchants globally that they are operating fully within the laws and regulations. It is a verification and monitoring service that maintains the world’s largest comprehensive database of regulated healthcare products, organized by legitimacy and safety. Moreover, LegitScript monitors and catalogs warnings from over 100 government agencies on an on-going basis and follows regulatory developments in many countries around the world.
“This certification is a testament to our team’s hard work and our commitment to improving access and affordability of quality and safe medicines and other healthcare products with the aim of achieving better healthcare outcomes,” said MYDAWA’s Managing Director, Tony Wood. “MYDAWA has always been diligent about its quality management systems and the certification reflects our continuous efforts to ensure a customer-centric approach that puts the customer at the heart of all our operations.”
A 2016 report by the Association of Online Pharmacies (ASOP) Global Foundation revealed that only 96% of the 35,000+ global online pharmacies operate within the required laws and regulations. These numbers have since almost doubled partly because of the rising cost of healthcare and especially prescription medicines both in locally and internationally that forces people to look for other options mostly online. However, buying medicines from unsafe sources can be deadly and cost even much more.
According to ASOP, drugs sold by illegal online sellers are often counterfeit, containing too much, too little, or no active ingredients. Even worse, these fakes may be made using toxic substances, like fentanyl, floor wax, mercury, concrete, road tar, paint thinner, anti-freeze and other poisons – contributing to up to one million deaths worldwide each year. Buying from illegal online pharmacies also increases the risk of credit card and identity theft.
LegitScript is endorsed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), in the United States of America (USA). Many of the world’s leading companies such as Facebook, Google, Visa and Master Card require and recognize LegitScript Certification. In addition, some EU government agencies have referred to LegitScript as the “appropriate authority.”
The Chairman and Founder of the e-health platform Mr. Neil O’Leary commented on the certification saying, “LegitScript Certification solidifies MYDAWA’s e-health experience as an instrumental brand in delivering good healthcare practices in Kenya”
MYDAWA attained the certification after a rigorous process that began in December 2018, receiving a final approval on 16th May 2019.
In 2018, MYDAWA achieved another first when the Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) granted its parent firm ION Kenya; that operates the MYDAWA brand, the first ever Retail License for an e-retailing pharmacy in Kenya. The company also recently secured a $3million funding from Africa Healthcare Master Fund to fuel its expansion in the country.
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