E-drug: Re: E-Commerce and pharmaceutical drugs (cont'd)
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In 1998 the WHO organized a consultation about cross-border promotion and
trade of pharmaceutical products over the Internet, following reports of
prescription drugs being mailed from one country (Belgium and Netherlands)
to the other (Switzerland). This was done without the required prescription,
and illegal even within the European community. When searching the Internet
about offers of pharmaceuticals, one arrives at a series of post order firms
selling all kinds of drugs, mainly as "smart drugs", also anabolic steroids,
but also, and here is the problem, as a treatment for incurable diseases
(AIDS, cancer).
The WHO consultation concluded that governments should inform and educate
their citizens to be very careful with these practices, and a model text is
being developed.
The USA FDA was not pressuring WHO against restrictions. The meeting
conluded that Internet is impossible to control anyway. The FDA warned
against restrictive attitudes against mail order pharmacy, an accepted
practice in the US. The patient sends the prescription he received from the
physician, to the pharmacist, who sends him the medication. In some European
countries this is not permitted.
The report of the consultation can be obtained from Dr Valerio Reggi,
Essential Drugs and Other Medicines, WHO, Avenue Appia, 1211 Geneva-27,
Switzerland.
Dr Martijn ten Ham
Senior Adviser International Affairs
Department for Pharmaceutical Affairs
Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport
The Netherlands
m.ham@minvws.nl
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