Internet self-diagnosis and drug supply signal global concern for industry

A team of medical researchers reported in a recent edition of The Lancet journal that a 64-year-old woman in Sunderland, UK, developed glaucoma and cataract after a four-year course of the steroid prednisone. The woman had self-diagnosed herself with chronic fatigue syndrome and had obtained the drug via the Internet.

Quick to jump on the bandwagon of blaming counterfeit drugs, a number of media reports pointed to the unreliability of obtaining safe drugs on-line. However, in the specific case that prompted the discussion, no evidence was found to link the adverse effects with any failure on the part of the drug itself. It is true, however, that for many drugs, the risk of adulterated or fake product is high, in some cases it is believed to be over 50%, according to figures prepared for the European Council (Marketletters passim).

Physicians researching the availability of drugs on-line, for The Lancet article found that they were able to obtain 1,000 tablets of prednisone 5mg for about L25 ($47.42). They also noted that the treatment for the chronic fatigue syndrome patient was correct, but that the dosage was too high and the lack of proper medical supervision meant that side effects were not identified or acted upon.