How many people have been harmed from drugs purchased over the Internet?
It is impossible to accurately quantify adverse event rates because FDA’s postmarketing surveillance system receives reports on only a relatively small percentage of all adverse events caused by drugs. However, as a result of postmarketing surveillance data collected by FDA, we know that the sale of unapproved drugs and the illegal sale of approved drugs over the Internet poses a serious public health risk. We know, for example, of many adverse events resulting from the use of the drug GBL and the date rape drug GHB, which are unapproved drugs sold illegally over the Internet. FDA learned recently of a person who was harmed by the use of Viagra purchased from a Website without an examination by a healthcare professional. Unfortunately, the man had a family history of heart disease and died after taking the drug. We also know of cases where people choose the Internet for treatment to avoid consulting a health care professional. These consumers, however, run the risk of purchasing inappr
