NBC 10 Investigators Web-sclusive: No Prescription, No Problem?
NBCPhiladelphia - Ryan Maguire, Ed Dress
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The NBC 10 Investigators will go anywhere to uncover scammers trying to rip you off, but this time we didn’t even have to leave our office.
Imagine how surprised we were when someone actually called the Investigators to sell us illegal prescription drugs. Xanax, Viagra, and Valium -- They wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Daniel, the salesman, told us that he was from XL Pharmacy, an online company that sells prescription drugs -- without the prescription.
He agreed to be recorded over the phone for a news story.
XL Pharmacy had our number from a story we did about buying medication online years ago, they claimed. But being called out of the blue to be sold drugs? That’s a new one for us.
It’s easy enough to buy illegal prescription drugs online without having the company call you. It’s way too easy for anyone to log on, order drugs and have them delivered right to their front door, Fred Harran, Bensalem Director of Public Safety, said.
We found out how easy when, under the supervision of Bensalem Police, we had two kids do it!
It might be easy, but it could be dangerous. Doctors we talked to say no one should take prescription drugs without seeing a physician first.
The person who verifies your order at XL Pharmacy is not a physician. They told us all they ask for is your height, weight and blood pressure, and the drugs are on their way.
You couldn’t be sure that the drugs you get online are the ones you asked for, a representative from Pfizer said in the past.
Pfizer helped us uncover the risks of buying Viagra without a prescription online in a 2004 Investigators story by Luann Cahn.
The XL Pharmacy’s drugs are generic and made outside of the United States, according to the spokesman we talked to. XL Pharmacy is based in California, he said. But, we traced their Web site to Caracas, Venezuela.
The online salesmen at XL Pharmacy claimed that what they do is legal, but the FDA says many drugs bought online are untested and unsafe. Controlled substances like Xanax could be especially dangerous.
Just like regular pharmacies, legitimate online pharmacies are strictly regulated and not allowed to sell controlled substances without a prescription.
Here’s what the FDA wants you to know about online pharmacies:
- Buying Prescription Medicine Online: A Consumer Safety Guide
- Protect Yourself: Tips and Resources from the FDA
Posted Friday, Jan 29, 2010 - 1:43 PM EST
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