Copyright 2000 The Omaha World-Herald Company
Omaha
World-Herald
August 5, 2000, Saturday SUNRISE EDITION
SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 27;
LENGTH: 672 words
HEADLINE:
Online Drug Sales Called Risky Midlands authorities say there's little oversight
of many Internet pharmacies
BYLINE: JEREMY OLSON
SOURCE: WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Medical authorities in Nebraska and Iowa are
warning the public about the "dangerous game" of obtaining drugs over the
Internet, especially without a prescription or
a consultation with a doctor. "The Internet has wonderful new
applications that can make life better," said Stephen Gleason, director of the
Iowa Department of Public Health. "But it has its risks, and one of them is the
Internet purchase of pharmaceuticals." States have limited authority over online
pharmacies when they are operated in other states or countries. But Norman
Pawlewski, executive director of the Iowa Osteopathic Medical Association, said
state officials can still serve as advocates for consumers, which is why they
called a press conference in Des Moines Friday. "What we wanted the state to do
was use its bully pulpit to warn the public that this is a dangerous practice,"
said Pawlewski, former health department director in Iowa. Some people like to
use the Internet to purchase pharmaceuticals because it can be easier and
because the Internet allows them to remain relatively anonymous. But local
pharmacists warned that there is little oversight of many of these sites and
that the drugs they sell could be counterfeit or dangerous. Nebraska's Board of
Medicine and Surgery today will discuss ways to deal with the problem. State
officials said they are concerned about online sites that both prescribe and
distribute drugs. Patients provide minimal information to these sites and often
receive the drugs after little or no discussion with a doctor about potential
complications or side effects. Dr. Susanne Eilts, board chairwoman, said the
board is debating what the minimum standard should be for the evaluation of
patients before physicians can prescribe drugs online. "It's generally thought
that it is more than (a patient) simply answering questions on a form," she
said. A dozen states, including Missouri, have pursued legal actions against
physicians for violations related to online prescriptions. Others have
introduced legislation to restrict the use of the Internet in this area as well.
The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy also recently created a program
to review online pharmacies and to certify the ones that are trustworthy. It is
called the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites program. "That is probably
the consumer's first line of defense," said Dr. Curt Barr, a Nebraska Board of
Pharmacy member who serves on the Creighton University faculty. Iowa officials
recently took issue with a series of signs and radio advertisements for a
company offering the impotence drug Viagra through either a toll-free phone
number or the Internet. Pawlewski said state officials convinced the radio
station to pull the ads. He said that consumers provided only basic information,
and that a doctor in Romania then decided whether to prescribe any drugs. "That
was supposed to substitute for a physical exam," Pawlewski said. Viagra is a
popular online drug. So is Propecia, a drug to treat male hair loss. But some
sites don't request enough information to determine whether the side effects of
those drugs might pose risks, Nebraska and Iowa officials said. Viagra can cause
heart problems for some men, and some drugs can be lethal if taken in
combination with others. Barr said officials in one state tested the mettle of
an online site by having a woman tell a site that she was pregnant and that she
wanted to buy Propecia. She succeeded in buying the drug, he said, even though
it could be harmful to a pregnant woman. Barr said the Internet is invaluable
for medicine, because it empowers consumers by giving them information they can
use to improve their health. He and other pharmacists also distinguished between
the legitimate online pharmacies - some of which won't sell drugs without a
prescription from a patient's primary physician - and the questionable ones that
prescribe and distribute drugs. "It's a very useful tool," Barr said. "But right
now, it is being abused."
LOAD-DATE: August 5, 2000
