Narcotics Sold Online, No Rx Needed
Study Shows Some Web Sites Lack Controls to Keep Kids From Buying Drugs
By
Kelli Miller Stacy
WebMD Health News
Reviewed By
Louise Chang, MD
July 9, 2008 — Scores of web sites do not require a prescription to buy
narcotics, stimulants, and other controlled substances — and none of those
sites has controls to prevent children from making such purchases, a study
shows.
A report released today by the National Center on Addiction and Substance
Abuse at Columbia University reveals that 85% of web sites selling potent prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Valium, and Ritalin
do not ask Internet users for a proper prescription from a doctor. Many
explicitly state that no prescription is needed.
"Anyone of any age can obtain dangerous and addictive prescription drugs
with the click of a mouse," Joseph A. Califano Jr., chairman and president
of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse and former U.S.
secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, says in a news release. "This
problem is not going away."
The report, titled "'You've Got Drugs!' V: Prescription Drug Pushers on
the Internet," details the advertising and selling of controlled
substances online. It is the fifth annual report on the subject. The report
tracks the availability of prescription opioids such as OxyContin and Vicodin, depressants such as
Valium and Xanax, and stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall.
The analysis showed that fewer web sites are selling and promoting
controlled substances than last year (361 vs. 581); in the new report, 206
sites were found to advertise drugs and 159 offered drugs for sale. However,
only two are "legitimate" pharmacy sites, meaning they have received
certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy as a Verified
Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS). To receive VIPPS accreditation, a
pharmacy site must comply with the licensing and inspection requirements of
their state and each state that they dispense prescriptions in.
Califano credits improved state and federal efforts to crack down on
Internet drug trafficking for the decline.
The "most disturbing" finding, the authors write, is that "there
are no controls on any of these sites blocking access by children." Most
Internet users are adolescents and young adults; 78% of kids 12 to 17 have
online access. Nearly all college students do, too.
Nearly one in five teenagers has abused prescription drugs in their
lifetime, according to a 2005 survey. Many think prescription drugs,
particularly painkillers, are easier to get than illicit drugs like cocaine or
crack.
Children easily gained access to the online pharmacies by typing in a fake
age. Yet in some cases, a child may still buy and receive drugs by providing
true information — even when their answers should raise red flags. A previous
report revealed how a supervised 13-year-old ordered and received Ritalin after
entering her own age, height, and weight on a site's questionnaire.
Internet Drug Trends
This report also reveals a trend in which many sites allow Internet users to
buy a controlled substance after signing up for an online "medical
consultation." Visitors must complete an online questionnaire about their
medical history before having their prescription filled. However, the answers
may or may not be reviewed by a doctor. Such sales do not constitute a
legitimate doctor-patient relationship, according to the study authors.
Other findings in the report include:
- Half of the sites that require prescriptions allowed faxed copies, creating
a "significant opportunity for fraud."
- The drugs most frequently offered for sale were drugs such as Xanax and
Valium, followed closely by opioid painkillers including hydrocodone (contained in drugs
like Vicodin, Lortab), codeine, and oxycodone (contained in drugs
such as OxyContin and Percocet).
- The number of sites offering stimulants for sale increased to levels not
seen since 2004.
The report showed many sites do not require prescriptions:
- 85% of online pharmacy anchor sites did not require a prescription to buy
controlled drugs.
- Of that group, 42% specifically said that no prescription was needed.
- 13% never mentioned a prescription.
- 45% offered an "online consultation."
The study also shows that many sites get their drugs from overseas:
- Slightly less than a fourth of online pharmacy anchor sites said the drugs
would ship from a U.S. pharmacy.
- 40% said they'd come from outside the U.S.
- 36% didn't say where the drug would be shipped from.
In April, the U.S. Senate passed a bill controlling Internet trafficking of
controlled prescription drugs. The bill calls for federal certification of
online pharmacies and prohibits the delivery, distribution, or dispensing of
controlled substances online without a prescription issued by a practitioner
who has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation. The bill awaits
House approval.
SOURCES: News release, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at
Columbia University. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University:
"'You've Got Drugs!' V: Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet,"
July 9, 2008.
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