U.S. says Web site sold prescriptions illegally
<H3>Prosecutors say government should have profits from shipments of controlled drugs</H3>
<DIV style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 40px">By JEFF ECKHOFF
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
January 23, 2005 </DIV>
Federal prosecutors in Iowa want to keep $4.6 million seized from Florida and Puerto Rican banks, money they say represents profit from an Internet site that illegally sold drugs to people in at least 47 states.
Authorities say the Web site was used to ship narcotics and other controlled substances across the country through a network of 17 pharmacies. Some of the prescriptions were filled at the Union Family Pharmacy, a Dubuque drugstore that was raided by government agents in 2003.
The hunt for the cash was helped by information from the site's former customers, including several Iowa addicts named in court papers.
A former Des Moines nurse who says she has beaten a two-year addiction to Hydrocodone, a pain-relieving narcotic, said "it would be a shame to prosecute me for something that I thought was not illegal."
To date, none of the customers or pharmacy officials have been charged with crimes, although three Iowa pharmacists faced discipline from regulators. Union Family closed for several months but has since reopened under new ownership.
Five recent lawsuits filed in federal court in Cedar Rapids target 30 bank accounts and five certificates of deposit.
Prosecutors say the money belongs to executives with Pharmacom Inc. of Miami and physicians the company hired to write prescriptions via Buymeds.com.
Pharmacom officials could not be reached for comment. Prosecutors have declined to discuss details of the case.
Court documents say Union Family Pharmacy, under a contract with Buymeds.com, filled and shipped approximately 5,172 prescriptions over a 25-day period in 2003. Nearly 95 percent of the orders were for controlled substances.
Federal court papers say the prescriptions were filled out by Florida doctors based on information typed into the Web site, then placed on a server where they could be downloaded from pharmacies.
U.S. government regulations don't allow prescriptions to be transmitted electronically unless the pharmacist verifies information with the doctor, according to court documents.
Iowa authorities say physicians also are required to examine the person who receives the drugs.
Court papers say roughly half of the more than 400 buymeds.com customers interviewed by Iowa investigators say they never had contact with any doctor.
Documents say one undercover investigator, after he requested drugs from the Web site, was referred to a West Des Moines hotel lobby. The investigator then was asked 10 questions by a licensed practical nurse referred to as "Gary the collector," who also wrote down the man's weight, pulse and blood pressure.
The former Des Moines addict, who asked that she not be identified, told an Iowa Pharmacy Board investigator two years ago that she had no medical condition that required Hydrocodone. The woman, who now contends that she does need medication for a neck-related injury, told investigators that "her only source of drugs was via the Internet, since she was so well known in Iowa as a drug addict that no physician in Iowa would prescribe for her." The list of ex-customers includes a former Ames attorney, who allegedly confessed his drug addiction after he learned of the federal investigation.
The man, who has not been charged and has since moved to Minnesota, could not be reached for comment.
LOL -"it would be a shame to prosecute me for something that I thought was not illegal."
Once again, no mention of the legality of online questionaire, only that the pharmacist did not verify the information with the physician by the Feds. Only the State (Iowa in this case) has an actual law prohibiting such transactions.
Who ships to Iowa? O.K., who'll ship to Iowa after today?
Dave M.
Where is icollect? He can try to recoverhis $200000 out of $4.6 million seized.[img]smileys/smiley17.gif[/img]
Originally Posted by phalaris
I'll bet he's on a plane out of the country. [img]smileys/smiley8.gif[/img]
Anybody know which countries won't extradite people back to the US?
</H3>
God forbid.....Please.....lets see, a two year addiction, a lifestyle that you can only imagine, the local pharmacies wont sell to her, yet she thought it was legal what she was doing. Excuse me, but shoudlnt she be charged with purjury for falsifying her medical consultation questionaire to get the meds in the first place.
And unless I missed the big front page somewhere, like DAVEM said, when did they establish the doctor client patient relationship ? Maybe in the state of Iowa.
You know what one of these pharmacon guys should do, investigate what special interest pharma companies paid to any political affiliated entity. Oh,No, they wouldnt like that, too many skelatons there. Besides then your talken big money, the kind that they wouldnt hesitate to bump someone off for ...
However, the hotel sham, if it is really like they claim, I am glad they shut that down.
Either establish the D/P relationship and clarify it, or cut the bullsh*t !! Probably dont want to since there is too much money in enfforcing this.
I know, how about a law enforcement affiliateship program !![img]smileys/smiley2.gif[/img]
I'll bet he's on a plane out of the country. [img]smileys/smiley8.gif[/img]
Anybody know which countries won't extradite people back to the US?
I thought he was 'just an affiliate'? [img]smileys/smiley3.gif[/img]
Ah...France?
Dave M.
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