A new report issued by the National Center of Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) warns consumers against the vast array of drugs sold by unregulated online pharmacies.  These pharmacies not only sell controlled drugs without an accompanying prescription, they do so without verification of age, a practice that allows even children to order drugs that are otherwise available by prescription only.  Valium and Xanax seem to be in big demand.

The CASA research team, based at Columbia University in New York, conducted a series of online searches for a specific list of controlled drugs.  Selling controlled drugs without a prescription is illegal in all 50 US states.  Legal pharmacies obtain certification from the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy before they can begin operation.

Of the 365 websites the CASA search team located, only two of them were legally certified.  And, in spite of national laws requiring prescriptions for controlled drugs, 42% of the online pharmacies had statements clearly posted that said no prescriptions were needed.

In recent years, drug use in children age 12 to 17 has tripled and CASA says many of these children are getting their drugs online and without benefit of a prescription.  The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimates 48 million people age 12 and older have used prescription drugs improperly in their lifetimes.  Joseph Califano, CASA chairman and former federal health secretary, has described internet pharmacies as candy stores for teens and college students.

Eight states in the last two years have passed laws that ensure more stringent regulation of internet pharmacies but CASA and many of the nation’s lawmakers seek legislation to expand and tighten regulations for online pharmacies.  This past April, the US Senate approved a bill that would strengthen regulation of internet pharmacies.  The bill now awaits approval from the US House of Representatives.

The new CASA report recommends the negotiation of treaties with foreign governments that will eliminate the illegal trafficking of prescription drugs via the internet when the online pharmacy is based in their countries.  The report also calls on internet search engines to block the advertisements published by online pharmacies that are not legally licensed or certified.

Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-California, says there have been at least 18 deaths attributed to overdoses of drugs obtained from these rogue online pharmacies.  Many other people have entered rehabilitation treatment or suffered illness or injury as a result of drugs obtained illegally via online pharmacies.  She calls upon the US House to take quick action to approve the regulatory bill as the Senate recently did.