You’ll see below two logos for similar organizations, the first for CIDA — the Canadian International Drug Association — and the second for CIPA, the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.

As you look across online pharmacy sites, you will find that some carry the seal of CIDA, whereas others carry the seal of CIPA.

What’s the difference between the two?

CIPA is a respected online-pharmacy verification authority comprised of pharmacies licensed by the Canadian government.

CIDA, on the other hand, doesn’t exist. There’s no such organization.

The fake CIPA seal is just one of the many ruses employed by rogue online pharmacies, as identified in this article by Spam Trackers.

Rogue pharmacy sites claim to be based in Canada — but are typically located in Russia and other countries known for online organized crime.

Don’t get scammed. To make sure the Canadian pharmacy site you’re visiting is legit, take the following precautions:

• Confirm the pharmacy has a valid license. Every Canadian online pharmacy should have a license in its home province. Locate the pharmacy’s license number on its Web site and the name of the regulatory body that granted the license. Contact the body to confirm the license’s authenticity.
• Look for the CIPA or PharmacyChecker.com seal — and verify they’re legit. To confirm that the pharmacy has been approved by one of these verification authorities, go to each organization’s Web site and conduct a search of approved pharmacies.
• Never pick a pharmacy based on a spam solicitation. Legitimate online pharmacies respect your privacy. They don’t spam you.

Or, rather than doing all of this legwork yourself, you can simply join Canadian Online Pharmacies, where we ensure that all of our member pharmacies are licensed and in good standing with the Canadian government. Join us today!