patient2all
Enthusiast
Reged: 05/16/02
Posts: 298
Loc: usa
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SCHUMER REVEALS: 50 ILLICIT INTERNET SITES ARE SELLING DANGEROUS DRUGS TO NEW YORKERS WITHOUT PRESCRIPTIONS
Quote:
SCHUMER REVEALS: 50 ILLICIT INTERNET SITES ARE SELLING DANGEROUS DRUGS TO NEW YORKERS WITHOUT PRESCRIPTIONS
Hospitalizations and deaths mount as teens and adults get dangerous drugs like Oxycontin and Valium online illegally and without a prescription
Schumer proposes $10 million joint FDA-DOJ task force to chase down illegal website operators and asks FDA to create seal-of-approval system so consumers know their online pharmacies are safe and law enforcement knows which ones to target
US Senator Charles E. Schumer on Sunday will release a new study that identifies 50 illicit Internet pharmacies that are selling narcotics and other dangerous drugs to New Yorkers without prescriptions or without having licenced pharmacists on staff. With estimated sales from these websites in the tens of millions of dollars, Schumer will propose a $10 million joint US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) task force to go after these website operators. Schumer will also ask the FDA to quickly develop and implement a "seal of approval" system so customers know they are purchasing from legitimate online pharmacies and law enforcement can target the ones that aren't legitimate.
"Everyone knows that the information superhighway has revolutionized life in America, but there is a dark and seedy side of the street," Schumer said. "If drug dealers came into our neighborhood selling this medication, we'd want to take up arms against them, and we should do no less if they come into our homes via the internet."
Internet pharmacies have become a virtually unregulated pipeline for highly addictive painkillers, tranquilizers and anti-depressants that have resulted in dozens of overdoses and deaths in New York and across the country. Website operators who may not have a licenced pharmacist on staff dispense dangerous medications like Oxycontin, Percocet, and Valium to people who may not have a valid prescription for these drugs. Sales of Oxycontin are particularly dangerous because people crush the medicine to get rid of the time-release coating on the pills, then snort the power for a quick, intense, and relatively cheap high that often proves fatal.
Three years ago this month, 18 year old Ryan Haight of La Mesa California died in from an overdose from drugs mixed with painkiller he bought without a prescription from internet pharmacy based in Oklahoma. In September 2001, 30 year old Douglas Townsend of Aiken County, South Carolina died in after he drove his car into a tree after taking tranquilizer he bought from internet pharmacy based in Arizona. And last April, James Lewis, 47, of Sacramento California died from an overdose of painkillers bought from an internet pharmacy.
There are many legitimate internet pharmacies like www.drugstore.com and www.accuratepharmacy.com
that only hire licenced pharmacists and demand the same kind of authenticated prescriptions a customer has to present at a neighborhood pharmacy. In 1999, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy a 100-year-old independent group composed of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, 3 U.S. territories, 9 Canadian provinces, and 4 Australian states set up the Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) program to develop and enforce uniform standards to protect the public's health. Only companies that comply with the licensing and inspection requirements of their state and every state they ship to are allowed to display the VIPPS seal of approval on their websites. VIPPS-approved sites also have to demonstrate that they protect patients' rights to privacy, authenticate prescription orders, adhere to a recognized quality assurance policy, and provide meaningful consultation between patients and pharmacists.
Only 14 internet pharmacies have secured VIPPS approval, meaning that the overwhelming majority of online drug stores do not offer a meaningful way of assuring people that the drugs they sell are safe, approved, and appropriate for their particular illnesses. Experts at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy have identified between 400 and 500 illicit internet pharmacies, but because after they are created many exist for only a few days before they are pulled down, it is a difficult number to track.
Schumer today released a study listing 50 online pharmacies that do not provide legitimate assurances that their products are safe. Schumer warned New Yorkers against using internet pharmacies that do not display the VIPPS logo or some other indication that they have a certified physician-patient relationship endorsed by the American Medical Association. He also said online pharmacies should verify that they meet state and federal guidelines for their operations and they should tell consumers under whose laws they fall so customers can make informed choices.
Schumer today wrote to US DEA Administrator Karen P. Tandy and US FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan to set up a task force that could work across state lines to pursue and prosecute the operators of these websites. Schumer estimates that such a task force would cost $10 million.
Schumer also asked the US Food and Drug Administration to create "seal of approval" systems similar to VIPPS as quickly as possible to ensure consumers that they will get the drugs they ordered in a process overseen by licenced and trained pharmacists working in consultation with licenced physicians, only with a valid prescription. Legitimate online pharmacies would be able to display the logo prominently on their websites, so customers will know to avoid sites where the logo does not appear. And Schumer asked the FDA to work with its Canadian counterpart, Health Canada, to develop reciprocal internet pharmacy standards so that together, the United States and Canada can ensure consumers have the tools they need to make safe and affordable pharmaceutical purchases.
The FDA and DEA would also monitor drugstore websites carefully to ensure that the logo is not misused, and would share the information about fraudulent use with the public via their own websites as well as with other federal, state, and local law enforcement. As important, federal, state, and local law enforcement will be able to target websites that don't have the logos, rather than waste valuable resources pursuing legitimate online pharmacies.
"We learned from Spam that it's not easy to fight an online adversary, but these rogue pharmacies bypass the safety mechanisms trusted by trained doctors and pharmacists and endanger the lives of Americans, and it's time for the Federal government to step up the effort to shut them down,"Schumer said.
Schumer was joined today by Robert Strang, a former DEA Agent who now runs the Investigative Management Group in New York City.
Rogue Internet Pharmacy Websites
http://e-scripts.md
http://e-scripts-md.com
www.ultrameds.com
www.OverNightRx.com www.thebestpills.com
www.1888meds.com
www.PillsGroup.com
www.PlatinumPills.com
www.GlobalRxCo.com
www.UniversalMeds.com
www.SterlingPills.com
www.Magic-Meds.com www.MyRxWorks.com www.netprescribe.net
www.RxTime.com http://get-pills.com www.easy-pills.com
www.safebargains.com
www.interactive-rx.com www.onlinepills-co.com www.24hourmeds.com
www.confidentialpharma.com
www.nationalpharmacygroup.com
www.ultrapills.com
www.vidrin.biz
www.vidrin.com
www.rxusaonline.com
www.MedScriptsMd.com
www.bluepillsdirect.com
www.Rx-Phy.com
www.rxphy.com
www.pharma-international.com
www.MD-Scripts.com
www.internetpharmacyonline.com
www.order2.com
www.dietpills4u.com
www.MDDietpills.com
www.didrex1.com
www.phentermine1.com
www.adipexdirect.com
www.dietpills1.com
www.adipex-didrex-phentermine-bontril.com www.phentermine4u.com
www.phenterminewebsite.com
www.adipex-dietpills.com
www.ltmc.net
www.myclinics.com
www.canadarxdirect.com/
www.overseas-prescription.com
www.1drugstore-online.com
www.1onlinepharmacy.com
www.worldexpressrx.com
List created with National Association of Boards of Pharmacy data
http://schumer.senate.gov/SchumerWebsite/pressroom/press_releases/PR02459.html
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patient2all
It's a sad world, getting sadder by the day....
Edited by DrugBuyers (03/03/04 11:38 AM)
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mpcagh
Member
Reged: 12/27/03
Posts: 130
Loc: California
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The article states that one of their biggest concerns is the sale of oxycontin. Correct me if i'm wrong, but I thought that oxycontin could not be bought through any online pharmacies.
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"There's a fine line between love and hate, and a mile full of lessons in between." William M. Siegel, Jr.
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jonysuede
Member
Reged: 03/16/03
Posts: 114
Loc: Long Island, N.Y.
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I did't vote for him but he is my senator. You would think
there was more important things than OP,s and Janet Jackson.Only 50 so we got nothing to worry about. You can overdose on Tylenol..
Jony 
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I have mixed feelings about Ambivalence
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Rxter
Journeyman
Reged: 02/13/04
Posts: 53
Loc: California
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Where are they getting this list? From the looks of it, they all look like the ones that show up in my SPAM filtered box
.and those are mostly phony rip-off sites to begin with. If our politicians are using the SPAM in their inbox to make a list of unacceptable OPS they are as bright as I always suspected they are.
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Any resemblance between myself and any character, living or fictional is purely coincidental
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KBlues
Member
Reged: 11/14/02
Posts: 105
Loc: East Coast
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I think you hit the nail on the head, Rxter. This idiot probably got a few SPAM e-mails and decided to make it his personal crusade. It is an election year, isn't it? He also probably has no problem being seen by a doctor or getting the medication that him and his family members need to live a normal life. I am so glad we have Schumer and all the other politicians to protect us from ourselves. Because they know us all personally, and they know what's best for me and you.
OK-so a few people died from overdosing on their medication-but that is the fault of the person, not the OP. OP's don't FORCE you to buy anything, and they certainly don't put a gun to your head and demand that you take 20 or 30 Valium. Whatever happened to accountability?
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carrigaline
Journeyman
Reged: 01/22/03
Posts: 82
Loc: So Cal
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The fight against OPs isn't restricted to one political party.
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micswavo
Stranger
Reged: 02/23/04
Posts: 3
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I am really sick and tired of all these do-gooders telling the country all these lies! All these op's probably would not be needed if the DEA would let doctors be doctors.
Well, all you voters in N.Y.,it is time to vote this lying piece of crud out of office! Let your voices be heard! I went to his web site where he has addresses to write to him and an email so you can email him....Let him know what the story is about pain sufferers!
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johng
Board Addict
Reged: 02/13/03
Posts: 361
Loc: great lakes
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Quote:
licenced pharmacist on staff dispense dangerous medications like Oxycontin, Percocet,
Why is it when the talk about the danger's OP's they always talk about oxycontin and oxycodone. we all know it is impossible to get C2's online.
by the way some of the other meds that are non-controlled can be even more dangerous then pain meds???
it is a selective attack against opiates. you never hear them talking about the dangers of other meds.
the hype continues
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Ask and it will be given to you Matthew 7:7
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JOJOM
Banned for off topic discussions, confronting mods in public, and being unpolite to members and mods
Reged: 08/16/03
Posts: 358
Loc: Yankee
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Here they go again- In my lovely state of N.Y
Don't get me wrong, I love N.Y but we have to have the worst laws around like you can get a ticket for feeding the pigeons, sitting on a step at a subway station and many , many others....
Politicians= Slimy, Lying, Cheating A**holes, with nothing better to do.
How about Alcohol and Cigarettes??? These things will kill you before a pain killer will...
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Nothing makes a woman more beautiful than the belief she is beautiful.
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cleo911
Board Addict
Reged: 08/21/02
Posts: 389
Loc: Jakarta
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Aargh!  Another article mentioning the death of Ryan Haight! I knew Ryan and his death had nothing to do with the vicodan he got from Friendly Pharmacy. Just felt I had to say that.
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patient2all
Enthusiast
Reged: 05/16/02
Posts: 298
Loc: usa
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who are those ops?
Right you are, right out of the bulk mail folder:
23 were lifestyle meds, more than 1/2 from the same affiliate program, same template. No controlled meds
18 offline including 8 from the same diet meds place
2 viagra places
1 canada otc
6 questionable iops, 1 offered valium, one claimed "same thing as vicodin"!
No Oxycontin as expected, no Percocet, 1 may have had valium.
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patient2all
It's a sad world, getting sadder by the day....
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cadman1
Journeyman
Reged: 09/25/03
Posts: 96
Loc: South USA
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First off,
We should give a Big Thank You to Patient2All for binging this type of stuff to light. It is though ignorance the powers to be, will pass laws, and leave us dusted and wondering what to do, so again, Thank you Patient2All for the very informative article, maybe this will cause some heat for this guys campaign.
Putting politics to the side (I dont even know if this guy is a dem or rep,, it really does not matter),,, but what does matter is how this is another example of how a politician can get their pockets padded (by ny pharmacuetical lobbyist) in the name of a good cause like "getting tough on illegal Oxycotin".
I suppose the thing about this that got me so pissed is that he is basically saying that he is going after ALL op's that provide meds into his state. Did you notice in the article that Valium (and a diet pill site) got "tossed" in with OXYCONTIN? THIS IS ABSURD.
Folks, I don't want to be negative, but this is just one more state on the road to banning all OP's. If you notice that every time something pops up on the news about op's no.1) It is always negative; they never tell how op's have helped millions of people in the US get the health care they need and can afford. 2) Have you ever noticed, these bastards ALWAYS thow in the word OXYCONTIN to every one of thier news stories, and it was the same thing that this prick is doing,, riding that oxy bandwagon.
Ok to quote Larry the Cable Guy, after reading this article "I was madder than a group of skinheads watchin the Jeffersons".
Take care
Cadman1
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gottadoit
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/21/03
Posts: 269
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I am just so relieved that thru all of this media attention over the last several months that none of the "better" ops have been named. All the ones that they are focusing on are no record sites or the complete scam sites that come via email. I wonder why this is?? I would like to think that it's because these sites are legal (require consults, ID, records, etc) but I'm not sure. Anyone else have any thoughts on why sites like NWW, fedex, southwest, eastern, etc. are flying under the radar?? Let's hope it stays that way!
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Tred
Enthusiast
Reged: 10/18/03
Posts: 265
Loc: USA
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I don't think they are flying under the radar.. I'm sure the government knows about all, but the one's in question are obviously not going by the books. The OP's that are existing at the moment, are trying to play by all the rules. Telemedicine can be a very good thing, but we the patients have to also abide by these regulations. The more telemedicine becomes tanted by drug seekers and the sorts, then we all will have a problem in the long run. The best thing we can all do is offer as much evidence to our medical problems to our OP's and participate in voicing our thoughts to any and all media and regulatory organizations. This is all we can do and hopefully it will make a difference in the end.
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Entertainment Specialist!
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jonysuede
Member
Reged: 03/16/03
Posts: 114
Loc: Long Island, N.Y.
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As a new york resident I'm not worried about chucky.I fell we wound not be resicteted other than other states w/Op,s or Iop,s. Again election ploy.. I guess I should vote agaisnt him in the general election ,but I dont think a repulicaN wou'd be much better. Just my 2
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JONY 
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I have mixed feelings about Ambivalence
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twistygirl
Stranger
Reged: 10/02/03
Posts: 8
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Quote:
Quote:
licenced pharmacist on staff dispense dangerous medications like Oxycontin, Percocet,
Why is it when the talk about the danger's OP's they always talk about oxycontin and oxycodone. we all know it is impossible to get C2's online.
by the way some of the other meds that are non-controlled can be even more dangerous then pain meds???
it is a selective attack against opiates. you never hear them talking about the dangers of other meds.
the hype continues
I am so sick of this garbage. I personally know of an MD who overdosed on a combination of cocaine (which I *doubt* is available online), Elavil, and a beta-blocker. Although she had 5 times the lethal dose of Elavil and the beta-blocker in her system, the death was listed as "accidental" because there was no suicide note?!!? I know of more people who have used Elavil to kill themselves than oxycontin or valium combined.
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EMJ
Old Hand
Reged: 12/20/01
Posts: 471
Loc: Southeast US
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I have to speak out on behalf of Doug Townsend who was mentioned in this article. He did NOT die from taking any tranquilizers, at all. I knew him personally, his Mother was the Coroner for this county, she passed away about 3 weeks ago from cancer. Another misconception about drugs being purchased over the internet, it really bothers me that they are saying this after his Mom has died because the autopsy showed no drugs in his body at all, and no alcohol. He died in a tragic car accident driving home late at night. Just wanted to let you all know how unfair it is for them to print something like this when it is totally untrue. EMJ
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I'm on the move to get past "Old Hand"
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