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Update: Danger Of Online Pharmacies
17 April, 2005
You see the ads on the internet and
in your email inbox for prescription drugs at a discount,
but is it safe to respond? Two South Dakotans who purchased
pills online got very sick last year. So sick that the
South Dakota board of pharmacy is now investigating.
In an EYE on KELOLAND earlier this month, we took a
look at the growing danger of ordering prescription
drugs online. I ordered what one website claimed was
the generic form of Viagra,
without a prescription. A pharmacist examined the the
four pills I received in the mail from a website advertising
"low prices without the hassle of a doctor's visit."
From the front, the package looks like
an ordinary letter. But flip it over and you'll see
my online order for generic
Viagra came all the way from India.
One look inside and Dennis Jones with
the South Dakota Board of Pharmacy admits it looks like
real thing. Jones says, "The color is similar and
the shape is similar."
After further inspection, Jones spots
something suspicious. Jones says, "I can tell you
right now looking at them, they're counterfeit because
in the U.S. you have to have a stamp and a number. Pfizer
should be on it and their number."
The warning inside the package also
looks like the real thing. It advises users not to take
the pills unless sold or prescribed by a doctor. Jones
says, "Did you have a prescription for this? You
were able to purchase without a prescription. Even their
own deal says must be purchased by licensed prescriber."
Which means if you take counterfeit
drugs and you have a bad reaction, there's nothing Jones'
office can do. He says, "I'm not going to India
for you, if you died from this I would probably contact
the India authorities but doubt if much would be done.
"
Contacting the original company these
pills came from may not do much good either. The site
we ordered through is off line. Jones says, "The
trouble is we don't know which ones are good and which
ones are bad."
The only way to really tell what's
in the pills is to get them chemically tested. Jones
has agreed to send the pills to the Pfizer lab. We'll
share the results with you when they are back.
By the way, after all was said and
done, the bargain pills I purchased ended up costing
more than real Viagra pills do at your local pharmacy.
Whitney Beem
© 2005 KELOLAND TV. All Rights Reserved.
source:-http://www.keloland.com
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