LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification: What It Is and Does Your Practice Need It?

LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification: What It Is and Does Your Practice Need It?

If you’re a drug or alcohol addiction treatment provider, you have probably heard the name LegitScript. LegitScript certification is a recognized accreditation for healthcare organizations that ensures that businesses comply with legal and regulatory standards.

The LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification is applicable for:

• Drug or alcohol addiction treatment providers: In-person or virtual drug or alcohol addiction treatment services.
• Mutual Support Groups: Website facilitating interactions between nonprofessional recovery members.
• Remote Assistance: Organizations offering information about addiction or treatment, like crisis hotlines.

In this article, we’ll dive into the LegitScript certification process and its benefits for your drug or alcohol addiction treatment practice.

Why Should Your Practice Get a LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification?

There are a number of reasons drug or alcohol addiction treatment providers should get a LegitScript certification. In healthcare, trust and safety is paramount for patient acquisition. With rising patient awareness and the growth of addiction treatment services, a leading third-party certification helps build trust with prospective patients by assuring them that your facility operates safely and legally.

But most importantly, without a LegitScript certification, advertising on Google Ads and the Meta Network is a non-starter. Once the opioid addiction crisis worsened in the US in 2017 and drove demand for treatment programs, Google began to limit addiction treatment ads due to widespread deception and exploitation of vulnerable individuals.

In 2018, Google partnered with LegitScript to introduce a new certification process for addiction treatment center advertisers. LegitScript-certified addiction treatment providers could then request certification with Google, and once accepted, those providers would be allowed to advertise on all AdWords channels.

In an increasingly digital healthcare landscape where over 60% of consumers use the internet when looking for a new provider and 80% of consumers use two or more online resources in their research process, online digital advertising is crucial for patient acquisition, making a LegitScript certification a must.

What’s The Process for a LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification?

The LegitScript addiction treatment certification process is available on the LegitScript website. Applicants start by creating an account and submitting an application with an associated fee. They must then complete a comprehensive questionnaire detailing their business practices, licensure, and privacy policies. LegitScript analysts review the application and may request additional information or highlight areas that need correction. From there, the applicant pays an annual subscription fee to finalize their certification.

Organization pricing is based on number of unique facilities (if an organization operates multiple locations under one corporate entity, each location is considered a unique facility.) Application fee per unique facility ranges from $1,075 to $1,595, with annual fees to maintain certification ranging from $2,125 to $3,095. Individual drug or alcohol addiction treatment providers pay $535 for the application and $1,070 annually.

The length of time it takes to complete a review varies widely, as it depends on the order in which an application is received, its complexity, applicant responsiveness, the sufficiency of the answers provided and other unique factors.

What Are The LegtiScript Certification Standards?

When assessing a business for certification, LegitScript looks for compliance with several key standards to ensure the safety and legality of addiction treatment services.

Valid Prescription Compliance: Adherence to regulations regarding what constitutes a valid prescription in the patient’s jurisdiction.

Proper Licensing: Confirmation that your practice and its practitioners are licensed in the states or countries where they provide services and ship medication.

Foreign Law Compliance: Organization complies with the laws and regulations of the patient’s country, avoiding illegal drug importation.

Disclosure of Pharmacy and Practitioner Details: Patients can easily contact the dispensing pharmacy or prescribing practitioner, promoting transparency and accessibility.

Transparent Domain Registration: Public accessibility of Whois records for domain names to ensure transparency and accountability in telemedicine and pharmaceutical sales.

Patient Privacy Protection: Compliance with privacy laws such as HIPAA in the US and GDPR in the EU, including the use of SSL on your website to protect patient information during transmission.

Affiliate Marketing Oversight: Disclose details of any marketing affiliate relationships to ensure there are no illicit transactions taking place.

Remediation of Past Discipline: Be upfront about past disciplinary actions and describe the steps taken to remediate and prevent future issues.

Conclusion

Obtaining the LegitScript Addiction Treatment Certification is essential for addiction treatment practices aiming to build trust, ensure compliance, and maintain a competitive edge in digital marketing. This certification not only facilitates advertising on major platforms but also assures patients of the safety and legality of your services.

At Evolve Healthcare Marketing, we’re a proud partner to a variety of mental and behavioral health practices that have provided addiction services. Wherever you are in the process, our team will offer guidance during and after certification.

Want to learn more? Contact us today.