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Pill Pushing Draws Warning of AMA
Under the possible
heading of “it would be funny if not true”, is a new report in
the July 19, 1999 American Medical News reporting on strong action from
the AMA against medical doctors prescribing drugs over the Internet.
At the AMA annual meeting, the organization came out strong and
called for state medical societies, governing regulatory boards and
licensing boards to investigate and prosecute doctors who dispense pills
to patients without ever examining them.
AMA trustee Donald Palmisano, MD said, “It is inappropriate and
it puts patients at great risk.”
The most common drug
prescribed over the internet presently is Viagra. Sites pushing this drug reportedly have catchy names like doctorasap.com
and get-it-on.com . On
these sites nothing more than an on-line questionnaire is need to receive
the prescription.
Although Viagra leads
the way in on-line prescriptions other drugs that are also becoming
popular include Propecia, Proscar, and Claritin.
The AMA report does not
condemn all on-line prescribing but favors ways to protect and enhance
what they termed legitimate electronic prescribing.
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