Internet Pharmacies Fueling Prescription Drug Addiction

In the news, there has been an abundance of attention around social media aiding young people in accessing drugs from overseas. The International Narcotics Control Board describes North America as the world’s largest illicit drug market while Internet pharmacies are a growing threat. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that more than 80,000 ‘portal’ websites allow ad space for medications and link to more than 1,400 anchor websites which sell illegal drugs. While there is a crackdown on crooked pain clinics, it seems that the focus will now shift to illegal Internet pharmacies. The FBI also reports that many of these Internet pharmacies are using expired medications and are manufacturing medications from raw materials in underground laboratories which have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.  It is also being reported that some of these drugs are contaminated. A person who uses prescription medications from illegal Internet pharmacies is jeopardizing his or her health by taking medications which may have dangerous or fatal consequences. The Internet has an increased opportunity to obtain drugs with the instant click of a button. It becomes difficult to manage illegal activity in cyberworld because of the ever-changing environment. There are many ways to hide on the Internet, and it may take a couple of years to locate and decrease the number of illegal Internet pharmacies. In addiction, it is a given fact that if an addict wants to use, he or she will be able to find drugs from various methods. By decreasing the number of Internet pharmacies, we decrease prescription drug addiction and at least one easy option for obtaining drugs.