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Thursday, May 20, 2004

LOS ANGELES — As many as one in three Web sites that sell prescription drugs online are black-market pharmacies, according to the Food and Drug Administration.


Fox News reporters were able to order discounted painkillers from India, sedatives from Sweden, sleeping pills from Mexico and anti-depressants from Indonesia — all without a doctor's prescription and hassle-free. And they arrived via mail in one to three weeks with no warning labels and the expiration date blocked out.

"It's not like buying a shirt or novelty item on the Internet," said Daniel Hancz of the Los Angeles County Health Department (search). "These are dangerous drugs that have serious side effects. And if you purchase them on the Internet, it's like playing Russian roulette."

Although many say buying meds online can be risky business, Web sellers are much harder to stop than dealers on the street.

"It's going to be very difficult to tell people not to try something they feel is a quick and inexpensive alternative," said pharmacist Mark Umekubo.

A bill is before Congress that would allow states to stop online sales but experts warn that policing overseas e-pharmacies (search) is practically impossible. Until then, the best weapon, they say, is to educate people about what they're getting into.

Click here to watch a report by Fox News Channel's William La Jeunesse.

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