Medications Through the Internet

Abstract

Patients are now able to obtain mail order prescriptions through the Internet from reputable online pharmacies without leaving their home. While this can be a great convenience, the Internet also provides a new means for easily questionable or even illegal prescription medications, i.e., prescription legend medications may be obtained without a prescription and drug products not legally available in the United States can be obtained in this way. Many chronic pain patients are drug seeking, and increasingly many are using the Internet to learn about medications, and perhaps to obtain them. Clinicians should know where their patients obtain medications, how to verify the validity of the sources of prescriptions, and how to report fraud. Ways to verify the legitimacy of an online pharmacy are described.

Key Words:

• Internet
• pharmacies
• illegal prescriptions
• fraud
• drug abuse
• FDA
• Food and Drug Administration
• National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
• NABP
• VIPPS

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Bryan S. Larson

Cherokee Layson-Wolf, PharmD, is Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. At the time that this review was conducted, she was a Community Care Pharmacy Practice Resident at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Perry G. Fine, MD, is Professor of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine and Associate Medical Director, Pain Management Center at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, Salt Lake City; and National Medical Director, VistaCare, based in Scottsdale, AZ. This commentary is based on an article in Dr. Fine's VistaCare Palliative Medicine Monitor.

Jonathan R. Gavrin, MD, is the Internet editor for the Journal. He is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Adjunct Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine; Associate Member, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; and Associate Director for Clinical Anesthesia Services, Harborview Medical Center.