RE: Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

[Guest guest]

Hi

Very interesting..

I am very curious as to who brought the law suits and who the money was

paid to…I am going to assume it was the board of pharmacists…as stated

in the article..

what I find disturbing about this article and the situation is that the

same thing is happening in Canada…the lawsuits are brought by the board

of pharmacists and the government..but only because the want in on the

130 million dollars the company made…they are also saying the doctors

were not doing it right..

you know usually I would applaud a settlement like this..but in the end

it is the people who cant afford other methodologies and the big money

makers making more money while we go without our drugs…

this is just my opinion…I am not happy about this…what is interesting

also..they mention they were not doctors…well here in Manitoba the

latest is that the rheumatologists are hiring people as doctors who are

not qualified to practice in Canada because of the laws…and they will be

writing prescriptions..

if I thought this was beneficent in merit I would applaud…instead I am

sad for all those people who needed those drugs and could afford them

via the internet…

I hope my opinion does not offend anyone…it is just my feelings as the

government strangles us even harder…I still say if the politicians were

to need enbrel or remicade there would be IV infusion soirees….oh

goodness I am getting cynical..

to all those suffering who needed the drugs I hope they will be okay…and

find some other source..

a how do you feel about this article you shared if you don’t mind me

asking???

Sincerely

[ ] Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

Wed May 29, 7:14 AM ET

By JESSICA BRICE, Associated Press Writer

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A Los Angeles pharmacy and two pharmacists

were

fined $90 million for allegedly filling more than 3,500 illegal Internet

prescriptions, officials said.

The fines against Total Remedy and Prescription Center II and

pharmacists

Barry Irvin and Packer mark the first time the state has

used a new law that makes it illegal to fill prescriptions without a

" good-faith medical examination. "

According to documents obtained during the eight-month investigation,

the

prescriptions were issued for so-called " lifestyle " drugs, such as

Viagra

for male impotence and Propecia for hair loss.

, executive officer of the State Board of Pharmacy, said

Tuesday that the drugs were obtained using Web sites that often solicit

customers by barraging e-mail accounts with advertisements offering

cheap

Viagra or other prescription drugs. Customers can obtain the drugs by

filling out an online questionnaire and providing a credit card number.

The prescriptions were written by doctors who were not licensed in

California and did not have access to the patient's medical records,

including information regarding other prescription drugs being taken by

the

patient, said.

The investigation began after the Medical Practice Act became law in

January

2001. The law gives the Board of Pharmacy the right to fine people or

organizations up to $25,000 for each illegal prescription filled.

The board is seeking fines totaling $54.9 million from the pharmacy,

$33.1

million from Irvin, who is co-owner of the pharmacy, and $697,500 from

Packer.

Irvin and Packer could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

[Guest guest]

,

Actually I applaud the board for seeking the fines and hope it deters others

from selling prescription medicine on the internet without even having seen

the patients medical records.

The board was set up to protect the public and that is just what it is

doing. Although I am very cynical when it comes to the prices and lack of

availability of medicines to people without insurance, I don¹t support

dispensing medicines without a doctor physically seeing the patient. I get

my medicine through the internet, but my prescriptions are written by my

doctor.

There are to many side effects to haphazardly hand out medication, even

those that seem like they would be harmless. It is estimated that more than

100,000 people die every year from the adverse effects of prescription

drugs, and 1 million are injured so severely they require hospitalization.

So what will happen if it¹s as easy as logging onto the internet and

answering a few questions? I believe our country is drowning in

regulations, but easing up on prescription regulation wouldn¹t benefit the

public. Cutting the profits the drug companies make so that medicine was

more affordable would benefit the public.

a

On 5/29/02 10:30 AM, " Dot.Com " <dot.communicator@...> wrote:

> Hi

>

> Very interesting..

>

>

>

> I am very curious as to who brought the law suits and who the money was

> paid to…I am going to assume it was the board of pharmacists…as stated

> in the article..

>

> what I find disturbing about this article and the situation is that the

> same thing is happening in Canada…the lawsuits are brought by the board

> of pharmacists and the government..but only because the want in on the

> 130 million dollars the company made…they are also saying the doctors

> were not doing it right..

>

>

>

> you know usually I would applaud a settlement like this..but in the end

> it is the people who cant afford other methodologies and the big money

> makers making more money while we go without our drugs…

>

>

>

> this is just my opinion…I am not happy about this…what is interesting

> also..they mention they were not doctors…well here in Manitoba the

> latest is that the rheumatologists are hiring people as doctors who are

> not qualified to practice in Canada because of the laws…and they will be

> writing prescriptions..

>

>

>

> if I thought this was beneficent in merit I would applaud…instead I am

> sad for all those people who needed those drugs and could afford them

> via the internet…

>

>

>

> I hope my opinion does not offend anyone…it is just my feelings as the

> government strangles us even harder…I still say if the politicians were

> to need enbrel or remicade there would be IV infusion soirees….oh

> goodness I am getting cynical..

>

>

>

> to all those suffering who needed the drugs I hope they will be okay…and

> find some other source..

>

>

>

> a how do you feel about this article you shared if you don’t mind me

> asking???

>

> Sincerely

>

>

>

>

>

> [ ] Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

>

>

>

> Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

> Wed May 29, 7:14 AM ET

>

> By JESSICA BRICE, Associated Press Writer

>

> SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A Los Angeles pharmacy and two pharmacists

> were

> fined $90 million for allegedly filling more than 3,500 illegal Internet

> prescriptions, officials said.

>

> The fines against Total Remedy and Prescription Center II and

> pharmacists

> Barry Irvin and Packer mark the first time the state has

> used a new law that makes it illegal to fill prescriptions without a

> " good-faith medical examination. "

>

> According to documents obtained during the eight-month investigation,

> the

> prescriptions were issued for so-called " lifestyle " drugs, such as

> Viagra

> for male impotence and Propecia for hair loss.

>

> , executive officer of the State Board of Pharmacy, said

> Tuesday that the drugs were obtained using Web sites that often solicit

> customers by barraging e-mail accounts with advertisements offering

> cheap

> Viagra or other prescription drugs. Customers can obtain the drugs by

> filling out an online questionnaire and providing a credit card number.

>

> The prescriptions were written by doctors who were not licensed in

> California and did not have access to the patient's medical records,

> including information regarding other prescription drugs being taken by

> the

> patient, said.

>

> The investigation began after the Medical Practice Act became law in

> January

> 2001. The law gives the Board of Pharmacy the right to fine people or

> organizations up to $25,000 for each illegal prescription filled.

>

> The board is seeking fines totaling $54.9 million from the pharmacy,

> $33.1

> million from Irvin, who is co-owner of the pharmacy, and $697,500 from

> Packer.

>

> Irvin and Packer could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi a…

agree to disagree there a with all due respect….you know if the

fines were going to the people who needed the drugs I could see it…I am

sorry but I feel some enmity and I am not sure by whom….the article is

incomplete in my mind…as is the status of the alleged situation…

you know I saw a blurb on abc news the other week…it was rather

fascinating….what was happening was the pharmacists were now

substituting brand name drugs for the generic to up their percentages,

and I assume to use more of your money without the person who was

getting the prescription filled knowing…..this is in American..USA….by

law we have to get the generic unless otherwise prescribed as we get our

drugs based upon income…

if this suit had been filed by anybody other than the pharmacists board

I would merit it…but the movement is on amongst the pharmacists with

their law suits…to what end I ask myself…to get their digs into the

profits….i think one element is the TYPE of drugs mentioned in the

lawsuit…LIFESTYLE…Viagra…we are not talking about celebrex and enbrel

chemotherapy…why not….???????? why did they choose lifestyle drugs..????

are their powers limited….i am asking why go after and label LIFESTYLE

what is the medical practice act…???? Have you all been made aware of

it?? I tried to do a boolean search for it but could not find the

referring act…and if there is a medical practice act are we perpetrating

a crime by buying from the internet..I don’t know a…these are all

just thoughts roaming around in my mind…

however I enjoyed your commentary and deeply respect your opinion…and

thank you for listening and sharing…

it is something that affects us all and in my mind merits thoughts…

Sincerely and respectfully

[ ] Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

>

>

>

> Fines Dealt for Internet Prescriptions

> Wed May 29, 7:14 AM ET

>

> By JESSICA BRICE, Associated Press Writer

>

> SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A Los Angeles pharmacy and two pharmacists

> were

> fined $90 million for allegedly filling more than 3,500 illegal

Internet

> prescriptions, officials said.

>

> The fines against Total Remedy and Prescription Center II and

> pharmacists

> Barry Irvin and Packer mark the first time the state

has

> used a new law that makes it illegal to fill prescriptions without a

> " good-faith medical examination. "

>

> According to documents obtained during the eight-month investigation,

> the

> prescriptions were issued for so-called " lifestyle " drugs, such as

> Viagra

> for male impotence and Propecia for hair loss.

>

> , executive officer of the State Board of Pharmacy,

said

> Tuesday that the drugs were obtained using Web sites that often

solicit

> customers by barraging e-mail accounts with advertisements offering

> cheap

> Viagra or other prescription drugs. Customers can obtain the drugs by

> filling out an online questionnaire and providing a credit card

number.

>

> The prescriptions were written by doctors who were not licensed in

> California and did not have access to the patient's medical records,

> including information regarding other prescription drugs being taken

by

> the

> patient, said.

>

> The investigation began after the Medical Practice Act became law in

> January

> 2001. The law gives the Board of Pharmacy the right to fine people or

> organizations up to $25,000 for each illegal prescription filled.

>

> The board is seeking fines totaling $54.9 million from the pharmacy,

> $33.1

> million from Irvin, who is co-owner of the pharmacy, and $697,500 from

> Packer.

>

> Irvin and Packer could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

I think you misunderstand who the State Board of Pharmacy is.

California State Board of Pharmacy was established in 1891 to protect

consumers by licensing and regulating those responsible for dispensing

medications to the public.

This government department is on our side protecting us from things like

substituting generics for name brand.

http://www.pharmacy.ca.gov/

Here¹s a link that you can read about the Medical Practice Act. This site

is a California site. Each state has a State Board of Pharmacy and a

Medical Practice Act.

To protect the public from the unprofessional, improper and incompetent

practice of medicine, it is necessary for the state to provide laws and

regulations that outline the practice of medicine and the responsibility of

the medical board to regulate that practice. This guidance is outlined in a

state statute, usually called a medical practice act.

http://www.med.stanford.edu/senate/CRCbull/Other_Resources/Medical_Practice_

Act.html

Hope this helps you understand why I think the fines are for our benefit,

not the pharmacies.

I wish we didn¹t need government to be watchdogs, but someone has to do it.

If the pharmacies were getting the money, I¹d agree with you 100%.

a

On 5/29/02 5:22 PM, " Dot.Com " <dot.communicator@...> wrote:

> Hi a…

>

>

>

> agree to disagree there a with all due respect….you know if the

> fines were going to the people who needed the drugs I could see it…I am

> sorry but I feel some enmity and I am not sure by whom….the article is

> incomplete in my mind…as is the status of the alleged situation…

>

>

>

> you know I saw a blurb on abc news the other week…it was rather

> fascinating….what was happening was the pharmacists were now

> substituting brand name drugs for the generic to up their percentages,

> and I assume to use more of your money without the person who was

> getting the prescription filled knowing…..this is in American..USA….by

> law we have to get the generic unless otherwise prescribed as we get our

> drugs based upon income…

>

>

>

> if this suit had been filed by anybody other than the pharmacists board

> I would merit it…but the movement is on amongst the pharmacists with

> their law suits…to what end I ask myself…to get their digs into the

> profits….i think one element is the TYPE of drugs mentioned in the

> lawsuit…LIFESTYLE…Viagra…we are not talking about celebrex and enbrel

> chemotherapy…why not….???????? why did they choose lifestyle drugs..????

> are their powers limited….i am asking why go after and label LIFESTYLE

>

>

>

> what is the medical practice act…???? Have you all been made aware of

> it?? I tried to do a boolean search for it but could not find the

> referring act…and if there is a medical practice act are we perpetrating

> a crime by buying from the internet..I don’t know a…these are all

> just thoughts roaming around in my mind…

>

>

>

> however I enjoyed your commentary and deeply respect your opinion…and

> thank you for listening and sharing…

>

>

>

> it is something that affects us all and in my mind merits thoughts…

>

>

>

> Sincerely and respectfully

>

>

>

>

>