"Drug Scams Abound on the Internet (National Public Radio blurb)
The illegal sale of narcotics and other prescription drugs over the Internet is a growing problem that federal officials are struggling to cope with, according to law enforcement officials. Traffic is rapidly increasing, and there are many cases of fraud and dangerous fluctuations in potency. NPR's Patricia Neighmond reports."

I am a National Public Radio junkie. I usually find no fault with their reporting or stories, but I heard a load of Cr*! yesterday on All things Considered. To make a long story short they interviewed a shrink whose patients told him they were getting meds on the internet. Part of the radio story is him doing a google to find web sites to buy meds without a prescription. They kept talking about illegal web sites/pharmacys and how anyone, even kids can buy oxycontin, vicoden & other stuff without a prescription. Then they interveiwed a agent from some gov't agency who was doing the same thing, googling for drugs. She claimed you can buy oxycontin, marijana & opium online. Maybe I'm naive, but I doubt that you can google yourself a marijana dealer who isn't actually a DEA agent!!!
This poorly researched article pissed me off, and I'm planning to write to NPR about it. I'll continue to be their biggest fan, but this was bad!!!
They should do a story on people with undertreated pain & how unsypathetic the medical establishment is.

here is a link, scroll halfway down to hear article:
http://www.npr.org/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=2&prgDate=22-Apr-2004

I'm soooooo very sick and tired of hearing the media profess that you can purchase OXYCONTIN online. Next time the media/press says that this is so, I am going to DEMAND that they provide me the website who sells it.

I've personally asked my Pain Mgmt. doc for this drug, and he won't Rx it to ANY of his patients due to it's high rate of abuse--he even told me it's nothing personal, because if he Rx'd it, I'd be the first to get it.

I'm going to vomit next time I hear "Point and Click to purchase Oxycontin......it's that simple"

TO THE PRESS AND MEDIA OUTLETS:

Show me WHERE you can purchase Oxycontin online.... and I'll be their FIRST customer.

NC Chick.

I'm putting my flag at half mast, now NPR has gone to the dark side.

Susan

I know. I totally agree. I listened to it yesterday afternoon as well and was amazed. This sort of sensationalist rubbish is what I expect from the nightly news on ABC/CBS/NBC, but for crying out loud. NPR is on this bandwagon too?

On the bright side though, if they're focusing their efforts on investigating links to vendors of illicit drugs and/or schedule II narcotics online, any of the legit sights we use for bona fide medical treatment should not raise any red flags.

Wishful thinking.
-B

Maybe they are confusing buying Oxycontin online with buying "empty oxycontin bottles" on ebay. God knows.

Also was it clear whether they were referring to website businesses/OPs or the shady scamming fools hawking this stuff on other boards like Voy.Com?

This is the type of issue that starts to swirl around and build up before an election, I can feel it. "Save the children!" Last month it was gay marriage, which was even more misrepresented by the media for the purposes of Feeding a Frenzy that nobody asked to hear about.

I agree with you though that NPR should at least be able to cite their sources. They are not usually into yellow journalism like the tabloids or certain cable "news" channels. I'm with Susan; flag at half mast for the beginning of the end of responsible journalism.

The heck with it; I'm going to Europe next week where they still sell codeine over the counter. Talk about different attitudes towards EVERYTHING about health care!

No, Caracole, when talking about purchasing narcotics online, the media ALWAYS uses Oxycontin as one of the drugs people (including kids) are purchasing online, not knowing that the strongest drug available online is Hydrocodone.

Read some of the old threads here (not the User's comments, but the Media story), and you'll see that all articles in print contain stories about, "Oh my goodness, people are getting OXYCONTIN from internet websites!!!"

Not true.

Therefore, if they are going to report stories, I just wish the specific drugs they are going to report are at least correct. Again, I'm aware of no websites online, US or overseas, that sell Oxycontin.

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Nascarchick

If they want to have "look what you can buy on the internet" stories then they could virtually write whatever story they want. I'm sure some ass is selling oxycontin, or claiming to, on some chat board somewhere just as some German couple just put their daughter up for auction on the net for a starting bid of 1 euro.

You're right that that does not mean there is an "online oxycontin" industry, just some sick scammers out there and some poor journalism. I hope the next big story comes along soon because this one can only mean more trouble for chronic pain patients.

...So glad I wasn't the only one flippin' over this NPR (which I am normally devoted)program! What really spooked me was: "federal agents are considering charging BUYERS with ILLEGALLY purchasing drugs without a prescription"....will our OP records likely haunt us till kingdom come?! Man, I'm off dis planet of de apes....

love ya,
pompom

It is interesting how many NPR listeners there are in here! This place has better taste than I thought! I was playing golf yesterday and didn't hear the report, which was then followed by watching my wrist swell up the size of a grapefruit - well, some things are worth some pain .
On THE REAL UPSIDE, I GOT MY FIRST HOLE IN ONE YESTERDAY! No Kidding, I really did - and I shot an 83 to boot


Anyway, I digress.

Do we really think they are going after the patients? Even people who are using more than one OP at a time - and lets be real here folks, there are a lot of folks probably doing that here on this Board, simply judging by the dosages discussed and the number of ops people claim to have used (and please don't flame me on this one, its just common sense). The numbers of people to prosecute would be prohibitive, the law is still fuzzy at best, even with the no records required sites, and proving what the relationship between any doctor and patient is would be problematic.
Unless states, especially Florida where OPs, and particularly no record Ops, seems to flourish pass a Missouri or Nevada type doctor-patient relationship law or if the Feds do so, which would mark a true departure from the traditional role of states regulating medical practice, then how would going after patients (purchasers) work? It would be a legal enforcement nightmare.

Let's also face up to the fact that many of us (me probably included) are, while maybe not addicts in the pegorative sense, dependent on these pain and anxiety medications we rely on OPS for, often for legitimate reasons.
How many of us, and no you don't need to answer, its just food for thought, need (vs. want) all of the meds we take? I could take less and probably be reasonably pain free. Many of us are not just afraid of the pain we live with, but also the withdrawls we would suffer from and the long term loss of control we are all constantly dealing with, first with our pain and then with the cure for our pain. I am just thinking out loud - what do you guys think?

Wow! I must say that TexasBear hit the nail on the head. I am new to the board and I have been sitting back soaking in everything the past week or so. The "thinking out loud", TexasBear stated above is so true. I think what he said is down to earth and expressed feelings that MANY of us can relate to. Way to go!

I must admit I too was suprised at all the NPR listeners! but then I thought of how some of the posters here are so thoughtful & knowledgable, and then again some are not!
I agree with your ideas about some of us not really needing the drugs, but unless they shut down all the alcohol pimps too, some people are going to become addicts one way or another. I think all drugs should be legally available, but addiction education & free treatment should also be widely available.
Because so many of us are able, thru the internet to be well educated nowadays on medical issues, and the medical system is such a mess many of us want the right to make our own drug decisions. i don't understand why so many MD's are so judgmental about pain meds?
I agree that it appears that many on this forum are using multiple OP's and probably taking too much meds, but I believe that is their business.
Also the dependency issue, i am very dependent on claritan for my pollen & cat allergy relief!
It's ok to be dependent on drugs that don't have any "feel good' affect, how moralistic & stupid is that!

May I present a different take on this subject?

It is not that doctors are always "judgemental" about pain meds. It is just that we are tired of being sued all the time by everybody with a beef. For example, if you do a google search on Oxycontin (yes, there's that drug again!) you are likely to get all sorts of popups and ads for "Oxycontin Attorneys". Yep, that's right, lawyers trawling for plaintiffs who were "harmed" by having their pain addressed by well-meaning doctors.

The point is that a lot of doctors are sued, or "dinged" by the DEA, for starting or maintaining people on these habit-forming drugs. Many people later come back and say "I didn't know that habit forming meant ADDICTING, you have caused me psychic stress, where's my lawyer?" Prescribing any kind of narcotics is just not worth it for some docs anymore except in emergency type situations or with longtime, longtrusted patients.

Oh, and another thing is that if you are a known "pain med" prescriber, you are much more likely to get called all night, weekend, etcetera with requests for far and wide to "call something in" . Truthfully for many docs it just ain't worth the hassle. So maybe OPs take the pressure off local docs and they can just focus on treating depression, or high blood pressure, or impotence, or whatever else takes up an office doc's day...

JMHO.

PS Some people have a harder time getting off of nasal spray than kicking a heroin habit. True story.