First, the drugs (anti-dpressants and all stimulants) which produce Crohns
Disease by a mind/body connection pervading our country is making thousands
ill, then  the controlled substances for pain, etc. which help deflect the
illness are very difficult to get.   I am all for helping the patient curb
their illness before it strikes as when it strikes, the result is far more
serious.   Talk about all other means to prevent illness, diet, exercising
etc. etc. etc. but not the same means to curb the illnesses created by the
pharmaceuticals.   What irony that has no match.
Gail Michael

Study finds addictive drugs easily ordered online
July 09, 2008

(AP) -- More than three-quarters of Web sites that offer highly
addictive medications do not require a prescription, according to a
study released Wednesday.

Powerful pain killers like morphine and oxycodone, and stimulants such
as amphetamine, are among the so-called controlled substances
regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency because of their high
potential for abuse and addiction. But findings by Columbia University
researchers highlight how easily those narcotics and stimulants can be
purchased online.

"Anyone of any age can obtain dangerous and addictive prescription
drugs with the click of a mouse," said Joseph Califano, who heads
Columbia's National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, which
issued its fifth annual report on online drug dispensing.

Of the 365 sites selling controlled substances online, Columbia
researchers found 85 percent did not require a doctor's prescription.

The number of online establishments selling the drugs fell 37 percent
from last year, but researchers said the decline was likely due to law
enforcement efforts to crack down on online drug trafficking.

About 80 percent of all online prescriptions are for controlled
substances, compared with just 11 percent of prescriptions filled at
traditional pharmacies, according to the DEA.

The Senate earlier this year passed a bill that would explicitly ban
the delivery of highly regulated drugs over the Internet without a
prescription. The bill is pending in the House.

As politicians consider stricter standards for online pharmacies,
government regulators are actually easing restrictions on how doctors
can prescribe controlled substances.

The DEA last month proposed allowing doctors to prescribe such drugs
with online prescribing software. The programs, which replace
handwritten notes, allow physicians to send prescriptions directly to
a pharmacy from their office.

Insurers like Humana Inc. and large employers like Wal-Mart Stores
Inc. have lobbied to allow electronic prescribing of controlled drugs.
They argue that online prescriptions are an easy way to avoid deadly
medication errors and reduce health care costs.

Many doctors have resisted the technology because of the initial
investments required to buy and install it.

By paving the way for electronic prescribing of widely used controlled
substances, experts expect more doctors will embrace the technology.

© 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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