Copyright 1999 The Columbus Dispatch
The Columbus
Dispatch
February 10, 1999, Wednesday
SECTION: NEWS , Pg. 1A
LENGTH: 1163 words
HEADLINE:
STATE MIGHT SEEK TO REGULATE PRESCRIPTIONS SOLD ON
INTERNET
BYLINE: Mark D. Somerson ,
Dispatch Medical Reporter
BODY:
Psst. Yeah,
you. Wanna buy some Viagra discreetly? Please log on, and our Internet doctor
will ''see'' you shortly.
Buying prescription drugs over the computer is
a burgeoning worldwide business, providing an online pharmacy full of drugs
without the hassle of visiting a doctor. Interested? You'd better hurry. The
State Medical Board is considering restricting the practice of
cyber-prescription in Ohio.
''The Internet is like an enlarged street
corner,'' said Tom Dilling, the board's government affairs officer. ''And the
types of medication being sold seem to be so-called 'embarrassment drugs,' ''
where consumers are reluctant to go to a pharmacy to obtain them.
''But
they are prescription drugs for a reason,'' Dilling said.
Board
officials believe Ohio could be one of the first states to address this new way
of selling prescription drugs.
Popular drugs featured in many Internet
pharmacies include Viagra, an impotence drug; Propecia, a hair-loss drug; Zyban,
a smoking-cessation drug; and Meridia, a weight-loss medication.
''We
are looking at rules that would clarify the type of prescribing that is going on
without ever seeing a patient,'' Dilling said. ''We feel this practice falls
below the minimal standard of care.''
The board already expects doctors
to physically examine patients and make a diagnosis before prescribing drugs and
controlled substances. But the board's prescribing committee will discuss
proposed rules today that would firm up the board's stance.
''It has
grown to the point that the medical board thought it should take a look at the
practice,'' said William Schmidt, assistant to the medical board's director.
''A lot of doctors are seduced by the idea of providing drugs over the
Internet, but under federal law, drugs are only to be given under the
supervision of a physician.''
A doctor who doesn't follow the medical
board's rules is subject to discipline by the board.
Some drugs can have
serious side effects, including Viagra, which has been linked to several deaths
among heart patients, and Propecia, which can cause birth defects if a pregnant
woman even touches a pill.
Most of the Web sites offer waiver forms
against lawsuits for side effects. The waivers must be agreed to before drugs
can be ordered. Most sites also charge a consulting fee for physicians to review
brief medical questionnaires. Consulting fees can run as high as $ 75 per
prescription.
Many of the sites promise drug prices slightly lower than
those through other channels.
Dilling and Schmidt say consumers must
assume that online pharmacies truly have physicians reviewing every form, while
physicians must assume that consumers are completing the forms truthfully.
''There are only a handful of doctors in Ohio doing this,'' Schmidt
said. ''And we view this as poor medical practice.''
The draft rules
state that there are some exceptions, including prescribing drugs for patients
who are admitted to institutional settings, such as nursing homes; cases in
which prescriptions are written for patients of a colleague during on-call
situations; and at other times when one physician has agreed to see another's
patients.
The rules, Dilling said, are written with Ohio doctors in
mind, but he said that they could also apply to doctors outside the state who
prescribe over the Internet to consumers in Ohio.
''We have jurisdiction
over doctors who come into Ohio and practice on patients here,'' he said. If the
board learns of such activities, ''We will send them letters saying that they
are practicing illegally, and that they must cease and desist.''
The
board could seek an injunction halting the activity by out-of-state doctors.
LOAD-DATE: March 20, 1999 
