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American Morning

Two L.A. Pharmacists Accused of Filling Illegal Prescriptions

Aired May 31, 2002 - 08:38   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Two L.A. pharmacists are being fined $88 million, accused of filling more than 3,500 illegal prescriptions, and they did it by way of Internet. It may be, we are told, just the beginning of a nationwide crackdown on so-called rogue pharmacies.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta handles our "House Call."

Good morning to you.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Bill.

HEMMER: Put some context into this story for us.

GUPTA: Yes, well, that's an important point. You sort of have to look back a little bit. The health care system has been burdened. A lot of people have a hard time getting in to see their doctor, have a hard time getting their prescriptions filled, so they're turning to other sources. And the Internet certainly provides a good source. Also you may have noticed, Bill, all these advertisements on television nowadays. This is directed advertising. Since '97, a lot of these advertisers are directed directly at the consumers, not at doctors anymore.

Potential patients are seeing these ads on television. They're saying, I want that drug. I can't see my doctor. I'm turning to the Internet. And as it turns out, there is about 200 sites out there, or so, maybe even more than that now. About one-quarter to a third of them are considered -- quote, unquote -- "rogue sites."

HEMMER: I mentioned that before. What's a rogue site?

GUPTA: Yes, a rogue site has some specific characteristics. They actually -- sometimes can have contaminated or counterfeit expired products even. They sell those. Incorrect dosages, dangerous drug interactions. They don't always check for those.

And most importantly, they don't really look at a thorough history of the patient, so sometimes that compromises overall education. One of the things that we heard about as a specific example was that one of those sites was actually using a veterinarian from Mexico, paying him $5,000 a month. He was approving the prescriptions.

HEMMER: Really. A vet in Mexico was giving the drugs. Wow.

GUPTA: And for people who are watching this, you can do this online, but where do you find legitimate sites?

GUPTA: Right. Well, there are some good tips. And we actually talked to the American Pharmacy Association about this. There are some good examples out there. Avoid sites that prescribe drugs without a physical exam. Get your prescription. Talk to your doctor ahead of time. That's still important. Or sell drugs that aren't approved by the FDA. Avoid sites that have no access to a registered pharmacist. Don't purchase from foreign web sites. Avoid those amazing new cure sort of "new cure" sort of claims, and talk to your health care professional ahead of time before getting any of those medications online.

HEMMER: It is a growing business, that's for sure. I know you're a doctor and not a lawyer. Maybe that's a good thing. But if people go to some of these rogue sites, are they doing something wrong? Is it illegal for them?

GUPTA: No. You know, it's an interesting point, because I think this is going to fill a really needed demand in our country. The Internet certainly does that for health already. A lot of people get their information there. You just have to be sure you're getting the prescription from a doctor ahead of time so that you don't get yourself into health care trouble. That is the big concern, is your health more than the law.

HEMMER: Thank you. Good to see you. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, have a good weekend.

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