Drug Dealers in Your Home
by
Robert F. Forman, Ph.D.
FIVE THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING DRUGS OVER THE INTERNET WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION
- 1. Look for unexpected credit card use.
If unexpected charges appear on your credit card, call your
credit card company and find out what is happening. It is possible that your card is being used to buy
drugs online without prescription.
- 2. Know your child's online friends.
Just as you should know the friends your child spends time with, pay
attention to where they go online, too. Question your child if he or she is visiting online pharmacies or
drug-promoting websites. If your child has already been treated for a substance use problem, the risk
of relapsing and finding trouble on the Internet may be even greater.
- 3. Look out for unexpected packages with unrecognized names.
If unexpected packages arrive at your
home addressed to your child or a name that you do not recognize insist that your child open the
package in your presence.
- 4. Get computer help.
If you have reason to suspect that your child is using the computer to obtain
drugs illegally, seek two kinds of professional help: a) an addictions specialist to address the
substance use problem and b) someone to secure your computer so that you can ensure that it is
used safely. In most communities there are computer service companies that can help you set up
controls over your computer (often called filtering or blocking software, or software programs that
monitor what websites are being visited).
- 5. For medications prescribed by a doctor only, use online pharmacies with the Verified Internet
Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS) certification.
This is a voluntary certification program initiated by the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Some online pharmacies will simply take your money
and run, others sell counterfeit and expired drugs, while others deliver the actual drugs - illegally.
Buying medications without a valid prescription is illegal and unsafe. Websites which have the VIPPS
Seal subscribe to safe online pharmacy practices and operate legitimately.