Surfing for drugs: Internet pharmacies have proliferated, offering consumers cheap, mail-order drugs. But some are less than reputable, leading states to set stiff regulations.V-I-C-O-D-I-N Is Here! That's the subject line on tens of thousands of e-mail messages offering easy access to drugs that can be dangerous--even fatal--to the consumer who orders them. And states are doing something about it. There are legitimate, online pharmacies  This article or section may deal primarily with the U.S. and may not present a worldwide view. that are licensed to sell
prescription drugs prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, by the states in which they operate. Users submit,
via email, credit card and insurance information, as well as valid
prescriptions. Ordering drugs online is convenient and saves time and
trouble. Consumers also can use the Internet to comparison shop drug
prices at home. For example, the cost of painkiller Vicodin (30 tablets)
is $22.99 from Walgreen's online pharmacy (shipping and handling
not included); $31.99 at a local store.
But there is the shady side
A 52-year-old Illinois man with episodes of chest pain and a family history of heart disease died of a heart attack in 1999 after buying the impotence impotence (im`pətəns), inhibited sexual excitement in a man during sexual activity that, despite an unaffected desire for sex, results in inability to attain or maintain a penile erection. drug Viagra from ah online source that required only answers to a questionnaire to qualify for a prescription. Food and Drug Administration (FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. ) officials say that if he had seen a doctor, face to face, health problems such as heart disease could have been detected and proper treatment prescribed. Another Internet customer overdosed on hydrocodone (the main ingredient in Vicodin) and was hospitalized for nine months; another developed liver damage after receiving multiple orders of the painkiller Darvocet, prescribed by online physician Earnesto Cantu. The doctor was addicted ad·dict·ed adj. 1. Physiologically or psychologically dependent on a habit-forming substance. 2. Compulsively or habitually involved in a practice or behavior, such as gambling. to painkillers himself and is now serving time in Texas after writing prescriptions for online drugs. In fact, Cantu wrote thousands of prescriptions, approving a million doses of hydrocodone and other dangerous drugs, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Texas court records. To feed his own habit, he earned as much as $1,500 a day for writing Internet prescriptions. In nearly eight months, he made $147,000. He was arrested, sentenced to six years on state charges and is awaiting sentencing on a federal charge that could add an additional five years in prison. Internet drug sales can be dangerous unless closely monitored. There is vast potential for pharmacists This is a list of notable pharmacists.
adj. Not approved or sanctioned: an unapproved vaccine; an unapproved protest march. , tainted taint v. taint·ed, taint·ing, taints v.tr. 1. To affect with or as if with a disease. 2. To affect with decay or putrefaction; spoil. See Synonyms at contaminate. 3. of substandard substandard, adj below an acceptable level of performance. products and have little of no quality control. On the user's side, people can receive multiple prescriptions for addictive medications, such as painkillers. The U.S. General Accounting Office reported in October 2000 that there were 190 online pharmacies selling prescription drugs directly to consumers. Seventy-nine of these dispensed drugs without a prescription or on the basis of an online questionnaire completed by the consumer. Of the 190, only five disclosed the states where they were licensed. Thirty-seven did not provide addresses or telephone numbers for consumers ir problems arose. HOW IT'S DONE In a typical purchase, a customer logs on and orders highly addictive hydrocodone. The Web site steers her to a middleman mid·dle·man n. 1. A trader who buys from producers and sells to retailers or consumers. 2. An intermediary; a go-between. , often another Web site, which arranges a telephone consultation with a doctor. The customer and doctor talk briefly, after which the doctor writes a prescription and sends it electronically to the Internet pharmacy internet pharmacy Online A website that offers prescription drugs from the comfort of home Cons The IP or prescribing physician may not be qualified or licensed to prescribe drugs in all states. See Operation Cure-All, VIPPS. . The pharmacy ships 60 pitls by overnight mail for a cost of about $290 (compared with around $45 to $60 at the drug store). The pharmacy takes its portion of the lee for the drug, the doctor and middleman split the remainder as a consultation lee. There are no face-to-face meetings, lab tests, X-rays of follow-ups. INDIANA, NEW YORK New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of FIRST Since 1998, nine states have passed legislation to regulate online pharmacies--Indiana, New York, Illinois, Virginia, California, New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). , Arkansas, Nevada and Texas. In general, the laws require state registration of the online pharmacy; mandate compliance with state license laws; and establish the authority of some type of control board, ranging from the boards of pharmacy in Nevada and Texas to the education department in New York. California prohibits dispensing "dangerous" drugs on the Internet to any state resident without a medical examination and valid prescription. Arkansas requires Web sites to post a pharmacy's permit number and certification as a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS VIPPS Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites ). This voluntary program, started by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy in 1999, provides annual certification of online drug stores. Criteria are designed to protect patient privacy, authenticity and security of prescription orders, and ensure that the online pharmacy complies with licensing and inspection requirements of the state in which it is located, as well as every state in which it dispenses drugs. LEGAL ACTION Kansas Attorney General Carla Stovall Carla J. Stovall was born on 18 March 1957 in Hardtner, Kansas. A Republican from Marion, Kansas, she served as Attorney General of the State of Kansas from 1995 to 2003. During her tenure, she served as President of the National Association of Attorneys General. was the first to initiate legal action against online pharmacies in 1999 when she filed a lawsuit against Lifestyles USA Inc. for violating the state's consumer protection act by misrepresenting services and products. Since then, Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas have filed lawsuits or temporary restraining orders temporary restraining order: see injunction. against businesses that conduct online sales and dispense prescription drugs via the Internet. These suits often stem from undercover investigations where an agent purchases a drug that is clearly inappropriate for her age or health condition. California, Florida and North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. have taken action against physicians operating through online pharmacies after they prescribed inappropriate medications without face-to-face examinations. California is the only state that has a full-time agent investigating the doctors who write prescriptions for Internet pharmacies.
CERTIFIED ONLINE PHARMACIES
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy has a voluntary
program, Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS), to
certify legitimate Internet drug stores. To be listed, pharmacies
must comply with licensing and inspection requirements in every
state in which they do business.
WHERE DISPENSING
PHARMACY INCORPORATED FACILITIES
Accuratepharmacy.com Texas Texas
AdvanceRx.com Texas Alabama, Pennsylvania,
Texas
Anthem Prescription Ohio Ohio
Caremark Inc. California Florida, Georgia, Illinois,
Louisiana, Michigan,
Minnesota, North Carolina
Pennsylvania, Tennessee,
Texas, Washington
Clickpharmacy.com Florida Florida
CVS Washington Inc. Rhode Island Indiana
Drugstore.com Delaware New Jersey, Washington
Express Pharmacy Services/
Eckerd.com Delaware Florida
Familymeds.com Connecticut Connecticut
Medco Health Solutions Inc. Delaware Florida, Massachusetts,
New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Texas,
Virginia, Washington
NCS Healthcare dba Ohio Washington
Care For Life
RxWEST Pharmacy Colorado Colorado
Tel-Drug Inc./CIGNA South Dakota South Dakota
Walgreens.com Inc. Illinois Arizona
Source: National Association Boards of Pharmacy, December 2003
STATES WITH INTERNET PHARMACY LAWS Nine states have laws that require state registration of the online pharmacy, mandate compliance with state license laws, and establish the authority of some type of control board. Arkansas California Illinois Indiana Nevada New Hampshire New York Texas Virginia Dianna Gordon is an associate editor for State Legislatures A state legislature may refer to a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. The following legislatures exist in the following political subdivisions: |
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