WHO Urges Action On Internet Drug Sales

At its 50th annual Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland this month, the WorldHealth Organization has passed a unanimous resolution urging its member states to take action against uncontrolled and dangerous sales of pharmaceuticals on the Internet, and said it would act promptly to implement it.

Worries about the Internet as a means of promoting and selling unauthorized drugs that could lead to consumer misuse, abuse and public health risks prompted the WHO to seek increased cooperation among law enforcers, the business community and drug companies to control on-line drug sales. It also asked member states to collect information on Internet sales. The resolution said the WHO is "particularly concerned that advertising, promotion and sales through the Internet may lead to uncontrolled across-the-border trade of medical products," and that Internet medication may be "unevaluated, unapproved, unsafe or ineffective, or inappropriately used." However, it added, it was possible that the Internet, appropriately used, might contribute to better health care and make medicine and information about it more readily available.

Martign ten Ham, the WHO's chief of drug policy, said the agency had found at least three or four companies selling prescription drugs on the Internet without detailed information. Drugs offered on-line included a treatment for severe acne that could cause birth defects in pregnant women, toxic drugs used in cancer therapy and morning-after birth control pills. There is no quality assurance for these drugs, and they are not accompanied by proper information on their use, he noted.