Drug sales soaring online

2005-03-02 09:46

Vienna - The illicit sale on the internet of pharmaceutical drugs with a narcotic effect surged in 2004, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) warned in a report released on Wednesday.

"Narcotic and psychotropic substances are increasingly being advertised and illicitly sold without required prescriptions by internet pharmacies ... subjecting customers to serious health risks," said the panel, an independent body monitoring implementation of United Nations drugs conventions.

The agency said in its 2004 report pharmaceutical drugs, often substances with a high abuse potential like stimulants and tranquilisers, were being sold online by outfits operating throughout the world.

It said investigations carried out in Asia and Europe had shown that "around 90% of such sales by internet pharmacies are conducted without the prescriptions required for internationally controlled narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances."

Costs more online

Mind-altering substances currently make up the vast majority of products sold online, posing a serious health hazard for clients, given the lack of control, it added.

Among these products are stimulants like amphetamines, and benzodiazepine tranquilisers, such as alprazolam and diazepam, as well as potentially lethal substances like fenatanyl and secobarbital.

A further worry, the INCB noted, was the lack of age restrictions in Internet sales.

"The illicit trade over the internet has been identified as one of the major sources for prescription medications abused by children and adolescents in certain countries such as the United States," it said.

In general it cost more to buy pharmaceutical drugs over the internet than at a chemist's and medical aid systems did not reimburse the cost, indicating that users turned to the Internet because they failed to get legal prescriptions for the drugs, the agency added.

It proposed that in order to combat the problem, governments should tighten their control over their pharmaceutical industries to cut the supply of drugs to internet traders.

"Illicit internet pharmacies dealing with brand products must obtain their supplies from established and recognised suppliers supervised by the competent authorities of the country from which they operate," therefore proper law enforcement should block the flow, it said.

The INCB also called for better co-operation between governments and international organisations, like Interpol, the World Customs Organisation, the World Health Organisation and Universal Postal Union.

It singled out Pakistan for criticism, however, saying the country failed to respond to calls to prosecute companies that were sending illicit shipments of psychotropic drugs to Switzerland and the Netherlands.

INCB president Hamid Ghodse conceded that it was difficult to police the situation because Internet companies "can easily be relocated".

- AFP