Online drug bust

Pediatric News, Jan, 2004 by Steve Perlstein

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), Ionamin (phentermine), Adipex (phentermine), and Meridia (sibutramine). "This case is about a dangerous new spin on an old problem. Drug trafficking in cyberspace is just as harmful to public safety as drug trafficking on street corners," says U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty. "The advent of the Internet does not mean doctors and pharmacists can bypass rules concerning the dispensing of prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances."