Senators Battle Dangers Of Internet Pharmaceuticals

An eight-month investigation and special hearing of nearly 1,500 pharmaceutical websites has exposed that purchasing medications online can prove dangerous, if not lethal.
The inquest, conducted by State Senator Serphin Maltese, a member of the Senate Investigations, Taxation and Government Operations Committee, and Senator Michael Balboni, chairman of the Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs Committee, involved the purchase of online drugs ranging from Oxycontin to Vicodin, and has shown that not only do the medications pose a health threat, but a terrorist threat as well.
Purchasers of the pharmaceuticals are informed that the drugs will be shipped from Canada when, in fact, they come from countries such as Brazil and Pakistan. Millions of drug orders are passing through our borders without inspection.
In fact, some of the drugs tested were found to contain boric acid or yellow road paint.
Beau Dietl, former police officer and president of an investigation and security firm that examined the importing of foreign medicines, explained that the Canadian government issued a statement saying they have never said they would be responsible for the safety and quality of prescription drugs exported from Canada into the US.
What makes this matter most alarming is the great availability of online medications.
"We are looking into the quality of drugs available online and attempting to protect the public when they order prescription drugs," said Maltese. "More and more New Yorkers are purchasing their prescriptions via the Internet because it is cheaper. However, they have no idea where these drugs were made or what is actually in them."
As there is no regulatory body to monitor cyberspace, these websites are free to market and sell medications without garnering FDA approval; oftentimes, the drugs are counterfeit or not fully potent.
Unlicensed, uninsured, unqualified people are able to set up websites for only $50. The investigation actually revealed that some of the creators even had a history of criminal activity.
Hundreds of thousands of people then visit these websites in an effort to save money or time. There is no documentation or prescription required; children are able to obtain medications such as Prozac or Lipitor without question.
"People can and have died from these drugs, whether it is because they contain toxic contaminants or they are not getting the correct dose of the drug they need to help with their particular illness," said Maltese. "Even more horrifying is that we are advised of a possibility that the drugs could easily be doctored by terrorists to infect the United States with small pox or anthrax."
Maltese and Balboni recently presented the findings of the investigation to a Senate subcommittee, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
"Were trying to achieve a balance between accessing lower cost pharmaceuticals, especially for seniors, against the dangers of Internet pharmaceuticals," said Balboni.
"It is very unfortunate that people, especially senior citizens on a fixed income, are putting themselves at risk of danger because the price of drugs in our country has spiraled out of control," said Maltese. "I will be working with my colleagues on both the state and federal levels to determine what more New York State and our government can do to lower these costs and ensure the safety and welfare of our citizens."
As part of their consumer education drive, Maltese and Balboni held a joint television interview with Dietl. The TV show can be seen on Queens cable channel 35 on Monday at 8:30 p.m. and Friday at 2 p.m. The show is also broadcast on Malteses website, www.senatorserfmaltese.com.