Google has implemented a new policy affecting Internet pharmacies, HMO pharmacies, chain drugstores, and mass retailer pharmacies. Such companies must now be certified by The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) through its Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program in order for Google paid search keyword campaigns to be approved. This policy extends to keywords associated with any merchandise on a website that sells pharmaceuticals – not just pharmaceutical products.
For those still awaiting VIPPS certification, Google shut down all keywords across all campaigns beginning last weekend. Many companies were affected by the policy and few were prepared. The implications of what Google would do and when they would do it were not clear enough. A week later, many of these companies remain dark on Google paid search. A great deal of revenue has been and continues to be lost while these pharmaceutical companies scramble to rectify the situation.
Because PM Digital has a heavy penetration of retail clients, we attend many conferences in the retail category as will be evident in this roundup. The list below takes into account that there are generally three reasons to attend trade shows: 1) networking, 2) keeping current, and 3) investigating new technologies.
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