Tuesday, April 14, 2009

DEA Law:Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 went into effect Monday, April 13

Hurrah!
Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008 went into effect Monday, April 13

Thanks to Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D, CA

* Sen. Joseph Biden [D, DE]
* Norm Coleman
* Sen. John Cornyn [R, TX]
* Sen. Patrick Leahy [D, VT]
* Sen. Jefferson Sessions [R, AL]

This bill amends the Controlled Substance Act to stop the delivery,distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription.

A valid prescription is defined as "as a prescription that is issued for a legitimate purpose by a practitioner who has conducted at least one in-person medical evaluation of the patient."

Directly from the law itself; it reads:

Imposes registration and reporting requirements on online pharmacies.
Requires an online pharmacy to:
(1) display on its Internet homepage a statement that it complies with the requirements of this Act;
(2) comply with state laws for the licensure of pharmacies in each state in which it operates or sells controlled substances;
(3) post on its Internet homepage specified information, including the name, address, and telephone number of the pharmacy, the qualifications of its pharmacist-in-charge, and a certification of its registration under this Act; and
(4) notify the Attorney General and applicable state boards of pharmacy at least 30 days prior to offering to sell, deliver, distribute, or dispense controlled substances over the Internet.

The bill is named after Ryan Haight who was 18 years old when he died after overdosing on a prescription painkiller. He bought the drug on the Internet from a medical doctor that he had never met.