Friday, June 01, 2007

Dangerous Drugs

Dr Jackie Blue has called for consumer awareness around purchasing drugs via the internet to be increase. Dr Blue put our her annoucement after a Blenheim man died after purchasing anti-depressant medication over the internet.

It is illegal to purchase many drugs over the net and have them sent to your home, with many being intercepted by customs, however there are still a large number that get through and even some which are not illegal per say, but are required by prescription.

The cost of some drugs is expensive and people try to find ways around this, a number of transgender people often turn to the internet to buy hormone treatments, as the cost of such drug treatments in NZ is horrendous.

The danger with purchasing drugs over the internet is that not only are you not aware of the quality of the drugs, or that they are even what you ordered, you also do not have a doctor's prescribed dosage, making overdoses a much larger risk and therefore fatalities are also increased.

As someone who has been on prescribed meds most of my life, as a child I had a paedeatric neurologist at Starship who was an American and one of the most knowledgable doctors I have ever had, she put me on the latest and greatest anti-convulsants in the world after I tried and failed many others, however for my mother this meant a cost of around $3000 a month, for the sake of her child my mother paid this and worked with Pharmac, MoH and the Epilepsy Foundation to get the cost down (which it eventually did), but one could easily see why some people would turn to the internet if it means the cost wil be less.

I personally urge anyone who knows people buying drugs over the internet to encourage them to go and talk to a doctor and get the medical advice they need and to stop the internet drugs at once.

6 comments:

Craig Ranapia said...

Welly Girl:

In a spirit of Friday frivolity, may I offer your mother two snaps up, with a twist and a side order of supermodel sashay?

Having a child with serious health issues, and an equally serious medication bill, is tough enough. Going through the grinder of the health-ocracy -- even with the best support in the world -- is above and beyond.

And I certainly agree with you that the internet is no substitute for expert medical advice - especially where anti-depressants or any other psychoactive medication are concerned. They're not magic bullets, but should be seen as one part of (if you'll pardon the psychobabble) a whole-life approach where even minor changes in one part can affect everything.

Anonymous said...

So go and get the advice and then buy via the net.....how hard is that for someone with a clue?

Ex-expat said...

The main problem with internet drugs is that they are likely as reliable as a fake Louis Vuitton bag.

Anonymous said...

Didn't realise that redFec is now a National Party Press Release Website. This is a massive disrespect to the like of Pam and Sophia who had the original conviction to start up this blog. why not rename it blue confectionary?

Anonymous said...

Hear hear. Long live Pam and Sophia. People who *actually* have brains and know how to write without plagiarising from the National Party and Girlfriend Magazine.


This blog is b-b-b-boring.....

Little Red Riding Hood said...

Actually, I put a lot of press releases up myself :) Why don't you just get over it anon? I pity the people that feel strongly enough about blogging to make anonymous insults. Very juvenile...