Prescription For Drug Danger Online

Online "Rogue Sites" Sell Dangerous Medications - With No Prescription Needed

(CBS)  A new report details how easy it is to buy prescription drugs - without a prescription. All you need is a computer. The report by researchers at Columbia University says 85 percent of Web sites that sell those drugs do not require a prescription. As CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports, this means almost anyone can get them, including children.

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As an addiction therapist working with kids, Larry Fritzlan has seen plenty of pills. But he was shocked by the supply one patient turned in to flush down the drain.

“He brought in so many I thought we maybe we would screw up the local sewer system,” said Fritzlan. "He brought ... it was a large brown envelope and I’m guessing there were a couple thousand pills."

All bought on the Internet. A study released today shows how the Internet has become an uncontrolled marketplace for what are supposed to be tightly controlled drugs like pain killers and tranquilizers.

According to the DEA, controlled substances make up only 11 percent of prescriptions filled at traditional drugstores -- but 80 percent of prescriptions filled online, Blackstone reports.

The study found 159 different Web sites offering controlled drugs for sale, but only two of those were certified as legitimate Internet pharmacies. The remaining 157 were called "rogue sites".

“It’s despicable,” said Linda Surks, whose son, Jason, was killed by an overdose of the anxiety medication Xanax in 2003. “It’s really - it’s such a huge problem.”

"He was really a fabulous person who made a horrible mistake,” Surks said.

Jason got the drug on the Internet with no prescription.

“He had ordered Xanax from a Mexican pharmacy online,” Surks said.

That was five years ago. But in spite of efforts to crack down on Internet drug sales, if you do an online search for Xanax today, the very first thing that pops up is an ad for the drug - no prescription required.

And those who treat addiction say the young are particularly at risk because of what's online.

"Often they have credit cards, they certainly are the most in tune with the Internet," said Dr. Jeffery Wilkins of Cedars Sinai Hospital.

It provides a temptation some have paid for with their lives.

[caliengineer]

I personally believe these MegaCorp pharmaceuticals hype every incident of ''net sales. They want North America to pay North American prices... not the low, low prices they charge in poorer nations.
They have a nice eye-gouge system of Congress-protected pricing here, why should they let you buy elsewhere?

[galaxiana]

LOL, if you want illegal online prescription drugs, you don''t need to look any further than the ads on the lower right-hand side of this page! There''s 3 online pharmacies promoted right there in the Google ads!

[kathy11112]

The USA has a drug problem. It not just the "illicit" drugs. I don''t have any statistics, but I do belief that everyone I know has a problem. Doctors force a person to take drugs, the Big Pharma spends more on advertising than research and watching for adverse reactions and are now giving children drugs for everything from pimples to crying, insurance is helping by marketing the medical machine on everyone, kleptocrats are making it illegal to find a food that''s not "treated" with something while they are stealing our money to pay for drugs, media is bowing down to the medicine machine. Who is surprised that the Internet is getting in the action?

[thericksterm]

I do pretty well with generics

[sumarongi1]

Take a pill for this and then we''ll sell you more pills to counteract the side effects of that one. Oh, those have side effects also, here we can treat that with these pills. You used to have one problem and now you have five. Meanwhile the doctors and pharmacies thrive.

[martin9p2]

This situation is nothing especially new, and it BEGS THE QUESTION, ... where do the roque pharmacies get the drugs. Why isn''t DEA going after those pharmacies, and supply lines to those pharmacies, instead of just hunting drug lords in Colombia? SERIOUS QUESTION.

[tootall10142]

OK my turn now . all you morons who are naturalists and use allthese homophobic cures as you call them.well the next time your child has the flu and you have a vaccine that is better than the pharmacuticals have please share it, or the next your mother falls and breaks a hip let me know what you use for her pain.any thing can be abused even this news site.the adults should be held responsible for what thier kids purchase with the credit card the parent gives them.If these kids are buying drugs on the card then they are not that bright any way and are wasting our class rooms space and time .

[ybotheratall]

I have to agree with tootall. There is a time and place for natural medicine and healing. There are thousands of practical applications for natural processes in medicine and I applaud the efforts of the legitimate natural community in promoting them.

However, this article is about people ordering drugs over the internet. People have been taking pills for a very long time and it''s not going to stop, ever. I have to wonder why people would take a risk ordering prescription medicine over the internet from rogue sites. You don''t know what you''re getting in the first place, but then again, I''m not addicted to drugs and don''t understand the mentality. I''m sorry for that mom who lost her son and I can''t imagine what she''s going through but I just don''t get it.

There''s a thousand ways to kill yourself and this is just one of them.

[docpeter-2009]

Posted by tootall10142 at 08:07 AM : Jul 10, 2008, "The adults should be held responsible for what thier kids purchase with the credit card the parent gives them.If these kids are buying drugs on the card then they are not that bright any way and are wasting our class rooms space and time ."
_________________________
Why are adults giving credit cards to kids? Sheesh, that is an invitation for credit problems.

[waterandsand]

This situation is nothing especially new, and it BEGS THE QUESTION, ... where do the roque pharmacies get the drugs. Why isn''''t DEA going after those pharmacies, and supply lines to those pharmacies, instead of just hunting drug lords in Colombia? SERIOUS QUESTION.

*** does the DEA have to do with shutting down oversee pharmacies? Alot of online drugs from oversees are legit medications and save people alot of money.

[docpeter-2009]

Posted by Kathy11112 at 02:20 AM : Jul 10, 2008, "The USA has a drug problem. It not just the "illicit" drugs... Doctors force a person to take drugs, the Big Pharma spends more on advertising than research and watching for adverse reactions and are now giving children drugs for everything from pimples to crying, insurance is helping by marketing the medical machine on everyone..."
______________________

Except for the part of "doctors force a person to take drugs" you are probably correct. Doctors do not force you to take drugs. Mom takes her screaming child to the pedi. with ottitis media or the flu, and pedi. gives her an antibiotic for a condition that has been proven time and again to NOT help. Why? Because if he doesn''t mom will find another doc who will, and she will continue to doc shop until she drops.

I chose not to take many meds. Go to the library and see if you can find a Physician''s Desk Reference and read through a few meds. There are more words for cautions, adverse reactions, contraindications than for the drugs benefits.

LISTEN TO the drug infomercials and the "may cause", should not be taken, etc. and finally the CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN.

America is a "quick fix" society, rather than lets be/get well. We have the highest per capita healthcare cost in the civilized world yet we were rated 37 by the WHO (year unknown) in quality, with 40% satisfaction with healthcare.

[docpeter-2009]

Posted by martin9p2 at 07:30 AM : Jul 10, 2008, "This situation is nothing especially new, and it BEGS THE QUESTION, ... where do the roque pharmacies get the drugs. Why isn''''t DEA going after those pharmacies, and supply lines to those pharmacies, instead of just hunting drug lords in Colombia? SERIOUS QUESTION."
________________
Because the DEA has no authority to pursue these in most foreign countries. Beside these meds are under the control of the FDA

[jenbbaxt]

Hello:
I know this article talks about drugs online and it is very sad that you can get anything online now. Drugs, ***,anything. So many people are thinking that they have addition problems and now they have the access to get the drugs as well. Not sure what the solution is because we cannot go back, but we need to go forward in a better direction to make us safe from ourselves. I run an online counseling site and offer a "free therapy forum". I cannot believe that there are so many people out there that need help and cannot afford it. I think that we should offer help if we are going to have access. And to top it off, when you either buy something or search for something, you are then spammed for a long time. That''s all for now

Jennifer Baxt, DCC, NCC
[e-mail]
http://www.completecounselingsolutions.co,

[geneonlbk]

Sadly our supposed safe drug distribution system is about as unsafe as anything else available on the internet. People have been trying to get congress to regulate the "super wholesalers" for over a decade with no luck. ABC did an hour show a year or two ago showing just how unsafe our drugs really are. Bush and congress most likely have more concern for the profits or their friends in the drug industry than our well being. It''s sad that the people who pose the greatest threat to my safety and health are my federal govenment. It shouldn''t be that way!