DEA Warning--Buying drugs online may be illegal and dangerous!

Federal law prohibits buying controlled substances such as narcotic pain relievers (e.g., OxyContin®, Vicodin ®), sedatives (e.g., Valium®, Xanax®, Ambien®), stimulants (e.g., phentermine, phendimetrazine, Adderall®, Ritalin®) and anabolic steroids (e.g., Winstrol®, Equipoise®) without a valid prescription from your doctor. This means there must be a real doctor-patient relationship, which by most state laws requires a physical examination. Prescriptions written by "cyber doctors" relying on online questionnaires are not legitimate under the law.

Buying controlled substances online without a valid prescription may be punishable by imprisonment under Federal law. Often drugs ordered from rogue websites come from foreign countries. It is a felony to import drugs into the United States and ship to a non-DEA registrant.

Buying drugs online may not be only illegal, but dangerous. The American Medical Association and state boards of medicine and pharmacy have all condemned the practice of cyber doctors issuing online prescriptions as unacceptable medical care. Drugs delivered by rogue websites may be the wrong drugs, adulterated or expired, the wrong dosage strength, or have no dosage directions or warnings.

DEA is targeting rogue online pharmacies for prosecution and shutting down these illegal websites. See the results of one such investigation, Operation Cyber Chase, at www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/pressrel/pr042005.html .

How to spot a rogue pharmacy: www.DEAdiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/internetpurch.htm

To report illegal prescription drug sales and/or rogue pharmacies operating on the Internet call the anonymous Pharmaceutical Drug Abuse Hotline: 1-877-RxAbuse (1-877-792-2873)

Is It Illegal to Obtain Controlled Substances From the Internet?

For a prescription to be valid under federal and state law, there must be a bona fide doctor patient relationship, which is defined by most state laws to require a physical examination. “Completing a questionnaire that is then reviewed by a doctor hired by the internet pharmacy could not be considered the basis for a doctor/patient relationship.” Vol. 66 Federal Register 82, PP 21181-21184 (April 27, 2001)

Moreover, if the prescription drug is a controlled substance and the drug is being imported into the U.S. from a foreign country and being shipped to anyone other than a DEA-registered importer, such transaction is a felony in violation of Sections 957 and 960 of Title 21, United States Code.

Gosh I almost hate to post this, but if this is the law - why does the fed govt bother w/legal letters?

Because there are always "chain of custody" proof problems most of which can be solved if the recepient of their letter is dumb enough to respond to it.