17 replies to this topic

[doug123]

Not trying to generate hysteria, but it's yesterday's news:

http://news.bbc.co.u...lth/4780107.stm

Warning of online drugs 'danger'
Last Updated: Thursday, 10 August 2006, 23:13 GMT 00:13 UK

People who buy medicines over the internet could be unwittingly putting their health at risk, warn UK doctors.

Some drugs are fake and contain ingredients bearing little resemblance to the medicine named on the bottle, the Sunderland team told the Lancet.

Even if patients get the right drug, there is a risk of unchecked side effects and dangerous interactions.

The team reports the case of a woman who damaged her vision with oral steroids bought online from Thailand.

Cataracts

The 64-year-old woman had taken the drug for four years after making a self-diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome.

In February 2006, she went to the accident and emergency department of the Sunderland Royal Infirmary because she had noticed her eyesight failing for the previous six months.

The doctors who examined her discovered she had glaucoma and cataracts, caused by the steroids she had been taking.

If you are going to access medicines on the internet you are gambling with your own health

Prompted by this case, the doctors, Mr Scott Fraser and Dr Philip Severn, did an internet search and found they were able to find 1,000 tablets of the same steroid - prednisolone 5mg - online for £25.23.

Mr Fraser said that even though the treatment she had been taking would have been correct, the dose was too high and she had not been monitored for side effects.

Had she been monitored, the problem would have been spotted earlier and her complications might have been avoided.

'Gamble'

Writing in the Lancet, the researchers said: "The expansion of the internet is relentless and, from the perspective of patients seeking information, in the main positive.

"However, the online availability of controlled and uncontrolled drug therapies needs to be carefully monitored."

Mr Fraser added: "If you look online it is extremely easy to get hold of anything you like. Obviously, you do not need a prescription.

"If you are going to access medicines on the internet you are gambling with your own health."

He said doctors needed to be more aware of the issue and to make sure that they asked patients whether they were taking any medicines purchased over the counter or online.

A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency said: "Tackling the illegal sale and supply of medicines over the internet is a priority for us.

"The MHRA is currently investigating 117 internet-related cases where medicines legislation has been potentially breached.

"Some of these investigations have already resulted in successful prosecutions.

"Patients are advised that they should only take prescription-only medicines after an appropriate consultation with their healthcare professional whose role it is to take into account associated risks and benefits."




Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.u...lth/4780107.stm

Published: 2006/08/10 23:13:46 GMT

© BBC MMVI

[kylyssa]

I think the strong warnings against online purchase of drugs are intended to keep people ignorant.

Doctors are not all-knowing creatures, they are people with education. Sometimes they are wrong
or simply too conservative to give you the treatment you need. In the worst cases which are far
more common than we'd all like to believe the doctor is just seeking to run a "patient conveyor belt"
and it matters little to him if you are treated properly so long as you spend no more than the time
he allots in his office and pay the bill when you leave.

From my personal experience with using online information to diagnose my illness and my attempts
to get a doctor to listen to what I researched - it's no shocker that many people are self-diagnosing
and self-treating. I sure as hell wish I had self-treated as well as self diagnosed.

My inability to force, plead, or blackmail my doctors into giving me a simple blood test cost me
dearly. I will always question somewhere in the back of my mind how many years that string of
doctors took from my life. I will always have bitter feelings towards bad doctors for sacrificing my
Mother's life to their laziness. A layperson with the proper tests could easily have made these
diagnoses.

If you are willing to do your research carefully and order your own diagnostic tests (which you
can do now for many illnesses) you can take charge of your own health.

I think the desire to take charge of one's medical care has sprung from the ranks of incompetent
doctors practicing in the world. They are not incompetent by lack of training but by carelessness
and lack of a desire to heal rather than to just collect money.

Maybe they should try fixing the medical system and see if that lowers self-diagnosis and self-treatment.

I'd like to point out that what the poor woman was suffering from was apparently chronic fatigue
syndrome as a doctor even commented that she chose the right med but the wrong dose. Why
hadn't a doctor prescribed anything? I have a friend with CFS and it was pure hell getting any
doctor to even look at her. If you go to a doctor and you aren't spurting arterial blood, oftentimes
you just get classified as a bored housewife or a hypochondriac especially with illnesses like CFS
or fibromyalgia or lupus. Even fantasy artist icon Frank Frazetta was subject to this kind of treatment
- treated like he was mentally ill and even institutionalized when he persisted with the idea that he
was physically ill. Then he began to fail dramatically and was sent home from the institution to die.
He was finally given a blood test and put on thyroid drugs. Sadly, years were chopped off his life.

People get desperate when they feel something wrong with their body and can't get anywhere with
doctors.

[jaydfox]

I think the strong warnings against online purchase of drugs are intended to keep people ignorant.

Say what?

The people like you, too brazen to be held back by such warnings, are the people likely to do their homework and take proper precautions.

The people who will heed those warnings, are the people less likely to do the homework and take proper precautions.

As far as I'm concerned, the warnings are both needed and harmless.

[doug123]

For me, it's all about "which news source should I trust?" BBC news, IMHO is one of the best sources of news in the world, that's why I linked to them first.

I guess I can argue that one source is biased one way or the other. When I get some free time, I'll be sure to go through each of these articles one statement at a time and try to find a way to play devils advocate. Of course, anyone can jump right in...

Have fun. I got these all from google news...

The Risks Of Buying Drugs Online
Medical News Today, UK - 21 hours ago
http://www.medicalne...hp?newsid=49401

OAP faces losing sight after buying steroids online
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 21 hours ago
http://news.scotsman...m?id=1168512006

'Self-Prescribing Online Has Dangers'
Life Style Extra, UK - Aug 10, 2006
http://www.lse.co.uk...ine_has_dangers

Doctors highlight risks of buying drugs from online pharmacies
Independent, UK - Aug 10, 2006
http://news.independ...icle1218435.ece

Opticians fire internet drugs warning
Monsters and Critics.com, UK - Aug 10, 2006
http://news.monsters...t_drugs_warning

Red alert over buying drugs online
Scotsman, United Kingdom - Aug 10, 2006
http://news.scotsman...m?id=1165662006

Doctors Caution Against Buying Meds Online
Daily News Central, NV - 12 hours ago
http://health.dailyn...iew/0002378/31/

Doctors give warning over online medicines
Glasgow Evening Times, UK - 16 hours ago
http://www.eveningti...ws/5055834.html

Buying Drugs Online is Risky Business
World Fitness, Canada - 18 hours ago
http://news.worldfit...skyBusiness.php

Buying drugs from online pharmacies may pose health risks
Food Consumer, IL - 19 hours ago
http://www.foodconsu...lth_risks.shtml

Online Pharmacies: A Cautionary Tale
MedPage Today, NJ - 21 hours ago
http://www.medpageto...cHealth/tb/3909

Online Drugs Could Prove Hazardous To health Warn Doctors in UK
MedIndia, India - Aug 11, 2006
http://www.medindia....ain.asp?x=13219

Analysis: Case renews online drug concerns
United Press International - Aug 10, 2006
http://www.upi.com/H...10-050515-3331r

Beware of medicines bought online
Moneycontrol.com, India - 19 hours ago
http://news.moneycon...p?autono=234167

Doctors highlight risks of buying drugs from online pharmacies
Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom 19 hours ago
http://www.belfastte...sp?story=702132

Buying medicines online? Beware!
DailyIndia.com, NY - Aug 11, 2006
http://www.dailyindi..._online?_Beware!

[kylyssa]

So would you consider this one woman's experience representative of all online drug purchases?

Having quickly read through those articles none addressed what alternative patients have when they are unable to get doctors to make a diagnosis and treat them or if the medication isn't available in their country?

It couldn't have been a cost issue for the woman who miscalculated her prednisolone dosage, could it? Isn't medication covered in in the UK? Why did this woman have to turn to self-treatment?

I don't believe in "The Nanny State" and I'm a strong proponent of being responsible for your own healthcare. This is mainly because I'd be dead if I weren't. Non-treatment by doctors is a widespread phenomenon.

Maybe people would be deterred from purchasing online medications and deterred from researching their own illnesses online if someone could come up with something else you can do when you can't get doctors to treat you. Firing your doctor has only limited effectiveness. I was required to fire 4 doctors before I found one willing to diagnose and treat me. It cost me the hearing in my left ear and reduce hearing in my right ear. It cost me pleural effusion, coma, baldness, and a host of other health problems.

[neuroenhanced]

Has anyone tested any of the larger pharmacies selling drugs to the US?

IAS, QHI, Biogenesis, Masters Marketing, Airsealed Marketing, Health Enhancement Products, Nubrain, and so forth?

Has anyone reviewed these sources for any type of gov approval to sell these drugs?

[neuroenhanced]

So you are registered in your company and sell approved brands of european drugs? Do you buy directly from the companies who make the drugs?

[neuroenhanced]

Thats excellent to hear. So as long as you know you're dealing with a respectable company you really have nothing to worry about. Works for me.

[neuroenhanced]

I completely disagree. People should play a far more active role in their health especially regarding preventative health measures. Most doctors wouldn’t recommend or even be aware of taking drugs or supplements for a healthy person.

Know thyself.

Who should know and understand you better than yourself? While a doc can offer you 10 minutes of his time to give you a checkup and order a few tests, you have your entire life to learn more than enough to keep yourself in good health.

While I am not against going to a doctor if you notice unusually symptoms or if you already have a medical condition, just remember doctors can be wrong and guess who finds out first? You. When you suffer side effects of a drug or are prescribed the wrong drug.

Most doctors do not keep up with the newest drugs and know little if anything about dietary supplementation. I don’t blame them mind you.

Also before you accept any diagnosis be sure to get a differential diagnosis, otherwise it’s worthless in my opinion.

[neuroenhanced]

The only different between a dietary supplement and a prescription drug is paying the FDA off to get approval. Most dietary supplements in the US are drugs in other countries. The difference is not one of safety it’s one more of political nature.

If mankind really wants to evolve then it needs to educate itself, unless you like asking the government (doctor’s same thing) what’s good for you and what you should and should not take (aka do with your life). If you want to give that powder of knowledge and choice to others regarding your own health be my guest.

Considering most drugs recommended for antiaging or nootropic purposes are generally very safe, I’m not remarkably concerned. However people who choose to abuse drugs like modafinil, methylphenidate, Lorazepam, Zoldipem, etc blindly deserve their fate.

Those are the same people who choose to drink, smoke, and poison their diets with trans fatty acids.

Luckily many people can and have the ability to educate themselves regarding the use of any compound for the purpose of health prevention or enhancement.

[neuroenhanced]

I agree 100%. It's just another DEA controlled drug for those looking for a safer form of speed. Unless you have a condition that requires it I would avoid it.

[suppfreak]

Doctors for sure would never recommend hydergine as a cognitive enhancement drug or deprenyl as antidepressive at least before it was actually approved as one.

Yep, hence so many of us go to online sources. In the US it is even more annoying than a doctor not being aware of a drug and it's effects, very often the form of drug will affect whether they'll prescribe it or not. Example: Selegiline for depression was FDA approved in transdermal patch form only (Ensam), so good luck getting a doc to write a script for generic Deprenyl (selegiline) tablets. The difference would probably be seen by 99% of doctors as being an off-label use (the tabs being used for parkinsons, etc) and hence they wouldn't write the script even though they *may* know that it is the same drug, hell-of-a-lot-cheaper, just as safe, and likely just as effective (oral versus transdermal). Personally I think a lot of the off-label use hype is push by the pharma-industrial-complex to keep people on the drugs they are spending millions marketing, designing, re-patenting (in different forms), etc. Selegiline has been around forever (since 1961 when Joseph Knoll discovered it) yet some company comes along and patents the transdermal use of it and sells that for hundreds of dollars a month [huh]

[kylyssa]

My doc actually prescribed oral Selegiline. She wanted me to try the patch but my skin is extremely sensitive to adhesives. Other than one kooky possible side effect, it's been working great for my "atypical depression."