RxPop.com Legal Information
Senate OKs plans to allow prescription drug imports from Canada
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate opened the way Tuesday to let Americans import prescription drugs into the United States from Canada, seeking to ease a regulatory ban on cheaper medicine crossing the border.
The proposal, which was approved 68-32, would create a Canadian loophole on a Food and Drug Administration ban on importing prescription medicine into the United States. It was offered as part of a $31.7 billion Homeland Security Department spending blueprint for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate opened the way Tuesday to let Americans import prescription drugs into the United States from Canada, seeking to ease a regulatory ban on cheaper medicine crossing the border.
The proposal, which was approved 68-32, would create a Canadian loophole on a Food and Drug Administration ban on importing prescription medicine into the United States. It was offered as part of a $31.7 billion Homeland Security Department spending blueprint for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Buying Medicines and Medical Products Online
Patients who buy prescription drugs from Websites operating outside the law are at increased risk of suffering life-threatening adverse events, such as side effects from inappropriately prescribed medications, dangerous drug interactions, contaminated drugs, and impure or unknown ingredients found in unapproved drugs.
The current system of federal and state safeguards for protecting patients from the use of inappropriate or unsafe drugs has generally served the country well. These laws require that certain drugs be dispensed only with a valid prescription because they are not safe for use without the supervision of a licensed health care practitioner. Generally, before the practitioner issues a prescription for a drug the patient has never taken before, he or she must first examine the patient to determine the appropriate treatment. Subsequently, the patient receives the drug from a registered pharmacist working in a licensed pharmacy that meets state practice standards.
Patients who buy prescription drugs from Websites operating outside the law are at increased risk of suffering life-threatening adverse events, such as side effects from inappropriately prescribed medications, dangerous drug interactions, contaminated drugs, and impure or unknown ingredients found in unapproved drugs.
The current system of federal and state safeguards for protecting patients from the use of inappropriate or unsafe drugs has generally served the country well. These laws require that certain drugs be dispensed only with a valid prescription because they are not safe for use without the supervision of a licensed health care practitioner. Generally, before the practitioner issues a prescription for a drug the patient has never taken before, he or she must first examine the patient to determine the appropriate treatment. Subsequently, the patient receives the drug from a registered pharmacist working in a licensed pharmacy that meets state practice standards.
FDA Enforcement Policy Regarding the Personal Importation of Violative Drugs
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) prohibits persons from importing into the United States any prescription drug that has not been approved for sale by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or which is adulterated or misbranded within the meaning of the Act. Moreover, in those instances where a United States manufacturer makes an FDA-approved prescription drug and sends it abroad, the Act also prohibits any person other than the original manufacturer from importing the drug back into the United States. Thus, in virtually all instances, individual citizens are prohibited from importing prescription drugs into the United States.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) prohibits persons from importing into the United States any prescription drug that has not been approved for sale by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or which is adulterated or misbranded within the meaning of the Act. Moreover, in those instances where a United States manufacturer makes an FDA-approved prescription drug and sends it abroad, the Act also prohibits any person other than the original manufacturer from importing the drug back into the United States. Thus, in virtually all instances, individual citizens are prohibited from importing prescription drugs into the United States.
DEA Warning--Buying drugs online may be illegal and dangerous!
Federal law prohibits buying controlled substances such as narcotic pain relievers (e.g., OxyContin™, Vicodin™), sedatives (e.g., Valium™ Xanax™, Ambien™), stimulants (e.g., phentermine, phendimetrazine, Adderall™, Ritalin™) and anabolic steroids (e.g., Winstrol™, Equipoise™) without a valid prescription from your doctor. This means there must be a real doctor-patient relationship, which by most state laws requires a physical examination. Prescriptions written by "cyber doctors" relying on online questionnaires are not legitimate under the law.
Buying controlled substances online without a valid prescription may be punishable by imprisonment under Federal law. Often drugs ordered from rogue websites come from foreign countries. It is a felony to import drugs into the United States and ship to a non-DEA registrant.
Federal law prohibits buying controlled substances such as narcotic pain relievers (e.g., OxyContin™, Vicodin™), sedatives (e.g., Valium™ Xanax™, Ambien™), stimulants (e.g., phentermine, phendimetrazine, Adderall™, Ritalin™) and anabolic steroids (e.g., Winstrol™, Equipoise™) without a valid prescription from your doctor. This means there must be a real doctor-patient relationship, which by most state laws requires a physical examination. Prescriptions written by "cyber doctors" relying on online questionnaires are not legitimate under the law.
Buying controlled substances online without a valid prescription may be punishable by imprisonment under Federal law. Often drugs ordered from rogue websites come from foreign countries. It is a felony to import drugs into the United States and ship to a non-DEA registrant.
Dispensing and Purchasing Controlled Substances over the Internet
The following Questions and Answers are being published by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Office of Diversion Control as an educational/public awareness component relative to the use of the Internet for the purposes of purchasing, prescribing, dispensing and importing of controlled substances. The DEA recognizes that while some Internet sites facilitate legitimate prescribing and dispensing practices, other sites facilitate the illegal sale of controlled substances. These sites of illicit activity enable some consumers to illegally purchase controlled substances without realizing they are committing a crime. The DEA regards this as a critical issue and is taking steps to address it. This document is intended to serve as general guidance to prescribers, pharmacists, the regulatory and law enforcement communities, as well as the general public regarding the application of current laws and regulations to controlled substances transactions conducted via the Internet.
The following Questions and Answers are being published by the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Office of Diversion Control as an educational/public awareness component relative to the use of the Internet for the purposes of purchasing, prescribing, dispensing and importing of controlled substances. The DEA recognizes that while some Internet sites facilitate legitimate prescribing and dispensing practices, other sites facilitate the illegal sale of controlled substances. These sites of illicit activity enable some consumers to illegally purchase controlled substances without realizing they are committing a crime. The DEA regards this as a critical issue and is taking steps to address it. This document is intended to serve as general guidance to prescribers, pharmacists, the regulatory and law enforcement communities, as well as the general public regarding the application of current laws and regulations to controlled substances transactions conducted via the Internet.
Expert Law
As online pharmacies gain a larger share of the prescription drug market, consumers must be aware of the possible problems associated with obtaining an online prescription for a medication, or purchasing a drug online. These issues become even more significant when ordering from overseas pharmacies, including those in Mexico.
As online pharmacies gain a larger share of the prescription drug market, consumers must be aware of the possible problems associated with obtaining an online prescription for a medication, or purchasing a drug online. These issues become even more significant when ordering from overseas pharmacies, including those in Mexico.
