Ryan Haight Act will Require Tighter Restrictions on Internet Pharmacies

Comment

Inspired increased regulation of online pharmacies after his death in 2001 from a Vicodin overdose.

Oct 2, 2008, By Corey McKenna

Photo: Ryan Haight died at 18 of a drug overdose in 2001 after he procured Vicodin over the Internet.

"I love you, Mom." Those were the last words Ryan Haight said to his mother as she kissed him goodnight on February 12, 2001. Haight -- a multi-sport athlete and an A student -- died at 18 of an overdose of a prescription drug he ordered over the Internet.

"Just the night before, we had dinner together after he came home from work at a nearby retail store. He used my Jacuzzi tub because he said his back bothered him from lifting things at work," his mother wrote on a Web site dedicated to the memory of people who died from prescription drug overdose.

"After one of his friends told us he got them off the Internet," Haight's mother continued, "we gave our computer to the DEA to investigate."

The DEA found that Haight had ordered Vicodin from a doctor he never saw and had it delivered by an Internet pharmacy.

"We also learned of Web sites on the Internet that have chat rooms that glorify the use of drugs and where sellers go to encourage our children to try them. Since Ryan's death we have found there are hundreds of Internet pharmacies selling prescription drugs," she said.

A 2004 study of prescription drug abuse in the United States found that 6.2 million Americans had abused prescription drugs with 2 million being dependent on that abuse.

To combat the problem, the U.S. Senate recently passed a bill that addresses the problems of how Haight could get Vicodin without ever seeing a doctor. The bill had already been passed by the House. It now heads to the president's desk for his signature.

The Ryan Haight Act provides several measures intended to verify the legitimacy of the medical need for a drug as well as the credentials of the pharmacy dispensing the medication. A doctor must conduct a face-to-face examination of a patient before dispensing medication for a legitimate medical condition. Pharmacies must post truthful information as to their physical location, the license numbers of their pharmacists and get an additional endorsement from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in order to conduct business over the Internet, even if it has registered as a brick-and-mortar pharmacy. The Ryan Haight Act will also make it a crime to use the Internet to advertise the illegal sale of a controlled substance.

The act also makes it easier for states' attorneys general to prosecute violations of the act committed by online pharmacies outside their states. Additionally, penalties for violations of the act have been increased to up to 20 years in prison.

DEA acting Administrator Michele M. Leonhart hailed passage of the act. "Cyber-criminals illegally peddling controlled substances over the Internet have invaded households and threatened America's youth for far too long by supplying pharmaceuticals with a few clicks of a mouse and a credit card number," she said. "This landmark piece of legislation will bring rogue pharmacy operators out of the shadows by establishing a clear standard for legitimate online pharmaceutical sales. The legislation will allow customers to know they are doing business with a trusted, legitimate pharmacy, and give law enforcement the tools we need to identify illegitimate online pharmacies."

The act prohibits dispensing controlled substances via the Internet without a "valid prescription." For a prescription to be valid, it must be issued for a legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice, meaning that, with limited exceptions, a doctor must conduct at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient.

This provision would address the primary harm caused by rogue Internet pharmacies: dispensing controlled substances on a large scale without a legitimate medical purpose. Rogue Internet pharmacies typically operate with active participation

1 | 2 Next >

Comments

By Will K on May 21, 2009

Fantastic, now because this jackass didn't know his limit, I can't get my vics and percs online. Thanks Ryan Haight.

By Anonymous on Apr 14, 2009

this is absoutely ridiculous! This kid's parents blatently missed the signs and symptoms that their kid was a drug addict. He had complained of back pain but what was even done by them for that? I do agree that many people use internet pharms to "easily & secretly attain" drugs but what about the rest of us? I have only turned to them b/c I have lost my job and suffer from a chronic condition and now I have no medical insurance. For the same amount of money I could go to see my specailist or I could order almost a 6 month supply of the medication that I need for the condition at an online pharmacy. All I am trying to get across is that it's hard enough to get medications as it is, we really don't need to make it any more difficult because of one drug addict!

By Anonymous on Apr 1, 2009

Is there a petition we can sign, this is crazy. Teens can get someone to buy alcohol....same thing, shut ABC stores down. What can we do and lets do it.....

By Anonymous on Apr 1, 2009

I would have to agree with the majority of the posters here. This is a bunk law, based on the cries of a grieving parent who simply wasn't there for their own child. This drug abuse was taking place in the family home, and for some reason "the family" remained completely ignorant to it - or perhaps they just chose to ignore the indicators? This kid was screaming for help - in his own home and on the street, and the family takes no responsibility. No, it's easier to place the blame elsewhere. Well, Ryan was getting drugs from sources other than the internet as well, and he also seemed to have a problem with alcohol - but that part must have been okay, since alcohol is legal.

By Anonymous on Mar 26, 2009

Although I feel bad for Ryans parents, or any parent who loses a child, this new law is a bunch of BS. I've used internet pharmicies before and I have never seen a site where anyone can just purchase vicodin without going through an extensive process. You have to supply current medical records, a photo ID and do a consult with a doctor over the phone. I don't know where or how Ryan got his pills from but he must have gone through a similar process and lied and forged everything. It's also expensive, where did he get the money from? I don't know if it's true but I read where Ryan had alcohol and other drugs in his system. But all the blame goes to the internet pharms. I also wonder how he can get away with this, why weren't his parents watching him. This wasn't the first time he took something and it appears he was a druggie. I do put a lot of the blame on his parents. This law, like other drug laws and gun control laws will do nothing to stop teenagers from getting drugs. It will just make it hard for legitimate people from buying pain medication over the internet. I also seriously doubt there are chat sites where pharmacies entice teens to buy drugs. I'd like to see proof of this. This is just the DEA and congress getting publicity about "We have to save the children".

By Mary Ann Taylor on Mar 12, 2009

am sorry for his parents but how much control are we going to give the gov't over us b/c of these occassional tragedies?

By Anonymous on Mar 12, 2009

Any person can overdose and die from too much alcohol. It happens every year to college kids. What's the point of this law? I hope Obama repeals this ridiculous law based on emotions not intellect.

By Dr Z on Mar 11, 2009

GI JOE wrote: You don't get it? He liked the way the pills made him feel, and was then he became addicted, everyone of you are addicted! And have to go on-line cause no REAL doctor would give them to you! ******************** For the sake of argument, let's say you're 100% correct. What business is it of your what other consenting adults choose to put in their bodies? What makes YOU the one who decides what's good or not good for others? You're not in anyone elses shoes and don't know what they're going through. What may not be good for you may be different for others. It's just like the hippocritical govt that bans drugs, yet has lawmakers getting snookered on legal booze.

By Anomymous on Feb 27, 2009

SO this is the LAW that has violated my privacy! If there's going to be a medical privacy law, HIPAA, then it is essential that everyone follow those regulations; even the government! "We" need to voice our disapproval of this new law; HIPAA rules are HIPAA rules; no exceptions!

By Phan Napri on Feb 22, 2009

Why should i NOT order online, I am mature enough, I am responsible enought, I know more than the doctor what i need and I know from experience how to use and how much to take. the law is a stupid law. what happened is your kid got vioden and took too much, HE OVERDOSED, which means he did not take one like the bottle said, he took 4 or 5.. that is what an overdose is. if he had taken one, he would still be alive, why are you using his death to punish us?

By GI Joe on Feb 20, 2009

You don't get it? He liked the way the pills made him feel, and was then he became addicted, everyone of you are addicted! And have to go on-line cause no REAL doctor would give them to you! IF a real doctor would give them to you...... then get medical care, and get them the right way. And being a victim (by marriage) to someone addicted to vicodin, I know where I am coming from. And for that say, well it's cheaper....... the hell it is. YOU GET IT ON-LINE, CAUSE NO REAL DOCTOR WOULD GIVE IT TO YOU PERIOD! My wife (probably) like him, went looking for another way (easier way) to make the pain go away (cause real doctors weren't doing it fast enough, or good enough), not knowing what the end result would be. addicted and no end in site. yeah 12 is a lot, (if that's correct), but as someone earlier said, 18 isn't smart. And yeah, REAL druggies (who were ahead of time) will get their fix, this will just stop the millions who weren't and didn't want to be addicted to a drug, just became that way as to no fault of their own. REAL druggies would have turned to the street corner not on-line (cheaper that way too). Doing stuff the "right" way, always costs more.

By Steve on Feb 4, 2009

This is another attempt by the ADA to stop people from not being forced to sit in waiting rooms for 3 hours, pay endless consultation fees, involve the government, and continue to strip the freedoms of the American people. Again, this is nothing but a control issue over the rights of the American people. This law is absurd and the Republicans and Democrats worked together to make sure big money doctors can continue to to make their Mercedes and country club payments.

By Anonymous on Jan 22, 2009

This is one of the worst laws ever put into place by the government. I am sorry that this parents have been put thru hell, but why do they feel a need to disrupt things for everybody else. It is not the fault of any online pharmacy that this kid overdosed. And if he wanted to get the drugs, he didn't need online sources to do so. This law needs to be revoked. We are all adults and don't need the government, once again, telling us what to do.

By Just a Kim on Jan 3, 2009

I don't think so....it's about Government Control over the internet and over us.

By Jennifer on Dec 15, 2008

If he was in so much pain, why his parents are not taking care of him? Why is he seeking internet for his pain relieve? Where are his parents? Illegal drug seeker will get their drug no matter how hard you tighten the rule. It takes a lot to over dose on Vicodin. This kid is drug addict. If there is no internet, he would get it elsewhere.

By Anonymous on Nov 10, 2008

They didn't mention he took 12 Vicodin. In my opinion you don't take 12 because your "back hurts from work". You take 12 to get high. He was a druggie. Now all suffer

By heimudan on Nov 5, 2008

This is outrageous. This kid orders meds and now they make a law. Does his mother feel better. There are people in pain who have no insurance and no other way to get meds. Parents watch your kids and there credits cards and there computers. Governments stay out of private affairs.

By Moreen on Nov 1, 2008

This is stupid. He must have taken alot to stop breathing which sounds like abuse to me. So now, everyone gets punished?

By cindy poppen on Oct 30, 2008

You don't o.d. if you were a happy person to start with. Parents are the ones responsible for the actions of their kids, not the internet.

By Anonymous on Oct 29, 2008

Again we are solving nothing, decreasing supply never works without decreasing demand. This should help put the drug users back to buying drugs from the corner where Ryan would have got his drugs anyway. At least the pharmacies are paying taxes

By Anonymous on Oct 17, 2008

great! lets make a law for every stupid thing every stupid person does. so we don't have to take responsibility for our own actions. they sure solved the problem of people drinking to much and cocaine addiction. Criminalize every action. Slowly and steadily, they are creeping into every facet of our lives and always with the tragic story of ONE person as a precursor to justify some stupid bill that just makes life hard on everyone. Here's an idea, teach your kids right from wrong. but keep in mind he could have procured any number of drugs any number of ways -- besides that, there are many many more important issues that their time could have gone into, they act like they have to"combat" anything that kills people. Except when someone has a true illness that they can't afford tratment for and they invariably die ... where's the law protecting them?

Respond to a comment.