Generic drugs online

Source: WSAZ-TV

Date: 14-Aug-2008

Author: Will Jones

According to Forbes magazine, West Virginia tops the list as the most medicated state in the country, and police say prescription drug abuse is on the rise.

Officers say it is just as big of a problem -- perhaps even bigger -- as crack cocaine, heroine and methamphetamine. West Virginia State Police say the Internet is where some pain pill addicts are turning to get their fix, often ordering from illegal online pharmacies.

In West Virginia, state troopers are steps ahead of the addicts. They're working with mail carriers to get these prescriptions off the street.

"We've been very successful," West Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Baylous said of the prescription drug abuse task force. "We're not talking about maintenance medication. We're talking about illegal prescription pain pills."

Police say addicts are not just looking for drugs on the Web. Just last week, an elderly woman needed 14 staples to close a head wound after being hit with a gun three times while inside her own home in Logan County.

"I thought they were going to kill me," she said.

State troopers say the suspects wanted prescription medication belonging to the victim's husband. Sadly, the victim considered one of the attackers a friend.

"It really surprised me and my husband for her to do us that way," she said.

Police say there are ways to keep burglars out of your medicine cabinet, including not letting other people know what you are taking - especially if that includes pain medication.

Baylous said officers are attempting to identify rogue doctors who are prescribing medication, as well as patients who are abusing prescription pain pills.

"It's an exploding problem," he said. "It's getting worse and worse all the time. All you have to do is watch the nightly news, and you could see where there is another crime committed because of prescription medication."

A large problem is that Internet pharmacies are not registered to do business in West Virginia, and they're not reporting to the state Board of Pharmacy.

"It affects everything," Baylous said, referring to prescription drug abuse. "This is something we need to be all be concerned about ... It is just as big of problem, maybe a bigger problem than crack cocaine, heroine and meth."

And he said it's a problem that grows daily. The task force also goes after patients who doctor shop. Those are people who go from doctor to doctor to get prescription pills. State troopers also are closely watching doctors and what they prescribe to their patients.