Spamvertised Drugs and Dubious Medical Devices

Joe St Sauver, Ph.D.
Director, User Services and Network Applications
joe@uoregon.edu

Products offered this way often include:

• drugs or medical devices of dubious safety or unproven efficacy
• prescription medications dispensed without a legitimate prescription from a licensed physician
• controlled substances (including scheduled narcotics)
• unapproved new drugs

Online purchasers of medical products are at substantial risk. In many cases, overseas pharmacy sites are virtually impossible to trace. When they charge your credit card and ship nothing, you'll have no recourse when your illegal drug purchase fails to arrive.

In other cases, your drug shipments may be detained at the border. Or, if you actually receive the pills you ordered, they may be unsafe for you to take, or they may do nothing to cure a serious illness or condition.

The Big "Personal Importation" Myth

Many spammer "pillz" sites will tell you that you can freely import drugs or medical devices into the United States for personal use. However, in many cases that is simply not true. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Food and Drug Administration have issued written guidelines to travellers and potential Internet drug purchasers outlining what's allowed, and Customs, DEA, and FDA personnel have received extensive lists of drugs and medical products that are to be summarily refused entry.

Thus, if you attempt to purchase drugs or medical products from overseas spamvertised sources, you may find your purchase seized at the border by Customs, potentially leaving you out-of-pocket the amount you'd paid--as well as potentially leaving you liable for fines, penalties, or even arrest as a drug smuggler.

Don't be taken in by Internet medical fraudsters: if you have a medical condition, see a licensed physician and fill any prescription he or she gives you only at properly licensed reputable pharmacies.

Never buy any product from spammers, particularly potentially unsafe or dubious drugs or medical devices. You may be ripped off outright, or if the overseas spammer does attempt to make a shipment to you, your purchase may never make it past the border.

For more information, please see:

1. Dispensing and Purchasing Drugs On-line: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/faq/internetpurch.htm
2. Customs and Border Protection Medication/Drugs: http://www.customs.gov/xp/cgov/travel/alerts/medication_drugs.xml
3. FDA Traveler's Alert: http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/traveler_alert.htm
4. FDA Personal Importations Web Site: http://www.fda.gov/ora/compliance_ref/rpm_new2/ch9pers.html
5. FDA Office of Regulatory Assistance Import Program: http://www.fda.gov/ora/import/default.htm
6. IA #66-41 - 9/28/00 Revision of Import Alert #66-41 "Unapproved new drugs promoted in the U.S." attachment revised 6/2/05: http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia6641.html
7. 7. IA #80-06 - 9/28/92, Automatic detention of fraudulent and deceptive medical devices," attachment revised 2/10/04: http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia8006.html