Prescription meds without a prescription?

[ceecel.dee, MSN, RN]

I'm probably way behind the times, but we had a gal in recently who was put in ICU with a tachy arrythmia due to some diet pills she got online. From her purse she also withdrew Xanax, Zenical (ick, what a mess), and Paxil, all of which she obtained by mail! Never saw a Dr.!

Now maybe I'm conservative, but this does not seem right to me!

She said she can't afford the clinic visit...that this saves her money...but now an ER, ICU bill?

What do you think?

[2MagnoliaTrees]

That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen. I bet if that company were turned in they'd be out of business pronto.

[adrienurse, LPN]

Well its illegal for one thing. Allthough that didn't stop me the last time I was loading up on naprosyn the last time I crossed the border to Grand Forks.

[Monica RN,BSN]

Yes Scary as it is, there are literally hundreds of web sites were one can get medications without seeing a doctor. Diet pills are an especially high percentage of those sold. The buyer fils out a questionaire about their health and thats it.. Overnight delivery and they are done!

[oramar]

My son gets that med that prevents baldness over the internet. I forget the name of it but it is the one that is dangerous for pregnant women to handle. I was really shocked when I found out he gets it by supposedly talking to a doctor over the interenet. I think it is illegal but so many things that are done over the internet are illegal.

[ainz]

So what about telemedicine? I think we are opening up Pandora's box with this prescription drugs over the Internet thing. I agree with what I have read here, too much room for abuse. I ordered some stuff one time just see if it was real and sure enough, 3 days later the meds were delivered to my doorstep. Anyone could have ordered it. It is dangerous and difficult to regulate. I would hate to be the physician who was signing off on this stuff.

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

The physician is probably making a lot of money, and until the law cracks down on these sites, this problem will get bigger.

[VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN]

Go to: http://www.canadapharmacy.com

You'd be shocked to see what you can order online without the "benefit" of a "doctor." This is just one of many internet sites.

[Monica RN,BSN]

It is my understanding that these pharmacies ARE NOT ILLEGAL, as long as they are really licensed Doctors and have a Licensed pharmacist to dispense the drugs. The are actually accredited by the board of pharmacy. NOT ILLEGAL if they follow the guidelines... Scary I know.. Here in South Florida a big company was closed and Jailed for internet pharmacuticals because the person dispensing was not a real doctor and the pharmacist was a pharmacy tech, not a real pharmacist. This company is out of business now, but hundreds more will continue to prosper because it is not illegal and they are "following the rules", as crazy as it may seem.

[live4today, RN]

I saw on the news yesterday where very soon patients will be able to talk to doctors via the internet, and receive medical care via the internet without ever having seen the doc in person. We are reeeeeaaaaalllly getting stupid with this internet stuff!

[sjoe]

"there are literally hundreds of web sites were one can get medications without seeing a doctor."

Well, compare this with a typical 1-2 minute rushed "exam" that a patient might experience if he/she actually came in to see a doc. Perhaps we are contrasting the web questionnaire with a very idealized, and outdated, idea of what a "real" MD visit is like for most people.

[sphinx, BSN, RN]

Originally posted by VickyRN

Go to: http://www.canadapharmacy.com

You'd be shocked to see what you can order online without the "benefit" of a "doctor." This is just one of many internet sites.

I know there are many illegal pharmacies on the internet that do not require a prescription from your own doctor, but I checked this site out, and it appears (unless I read it wrong) that you need to provide the prescription from your own Dr.....then it is rewritten by a canadian doctor, presumably because the pharmacy can't fill a script written out of country (?).

I copied this from thier site:

How to order Prescription Drugs:

Choose items and place them in your shopping cart.

When you checkout you will be asked to create an account and fill out a brief patient profile.

Follow the steps to complete your purchase.

Fax or mail the prescription from your Doctor and also a piece of a picture ID (Driver License) to us.

Your Doctor's prescription will be reviewed and re-written by a Canadian Doctor and dispensed by our Pharmacy.

I think this is different than those online pharmacies that "deliver the goods" without benefit of a script. I've seen sites like that and they seem to specialize in diet pills, antidepressants, viagra, etc.

what a world!