Online drug bust

Clinical Psychiatry News, Jan, 2004

Ten individuals and three companies were recently charged with illegally selling controlled substances and other prescription drugs over the Internet, the U.S. Department of Justice says. The defendants are charged with using Web sites such as www.get-it-on.com to sell controlled substances without an in-person physician consultation, as required by law.

Substances sold this way included weight-loss drugs commonly known as Bontril (phendimetrazine), lonamin (phentermine), Adipex (phentermine), and Meridia (sibutramine). "This case is about a dangerous new spin on an old problem," said U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty. "Drug trafficking in cyberspace is just as harmful to public safety as drug trafficking on street corners."