FC: Maine's attorney general crusades against online pharmacies

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

[Ah, we helpless consumers barely survived before enterprising folks like 
Seven Rowe arrived to protect us from ourselves. I don't know about you, 
but I was about planning to order a gallon of Blistex and use it as a 
dessert topping. Perhaps Mr. Rowe will realize that foreign travel permits 
Americans to buy drugs without U.S. government supervision and take the 
appropriate steps to restrict it. What's next, some entreprenurial 
politician telling us how many drinks we're allowed to have on airplanes? 
--Declan]

*********

From: "Reisman Household" <reisman () nemaine com>
To: <declan () well com>
Subject: Web sale of drugs targeted- Bangor daily News
Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 09:35:22 -0400

Declan- Two points- "no consumer complaints", but bureaucrats and lobbyists 
are sure there is a problem. And federal action is needed!

Jon Reisman

 <http://www.bangornews.com/cgi-bin/article.cfm?storynumber=38602>http://www.bangornews.com/cgi-bin/article.cfm?storynumber=38602 



AUGUSTA — With more than half of Mainers telling pollsters they have access 
to the Internet, there is growing concern over Web-based "drug stores" that 
offer access to prescription drugs over the Net with little or no say from 
a doctor.
"We're not talking about people filling their prescriptions over the 
Internet to try and get a lower price," said Maine Attorney General Steven 
Rowe. "The concern is sites that sell prescription drugs with no real 
consultation with a physician."
[...]
But no state agency has yet received a consumer complaint about an Internet
drug sale. Both the state Pharmacy Board and the Board of Licensure in
Medicine say they have not received any complaints. Nor has Rowe's office. But
Stovall said the problem has probably occurred in Maine.
[...]
"Congress needs to act on providing the Justice Department with the tools 
to go after these off-shore companies," she said. "The states already have 
their hands full at home."
[...]




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