In the United States, the practice of pharmacy is regulated by state boards of pharmacy, which establish and enforce standards intended to protect the public. State boards of pharmacy also license pharmacists and pharmacies. To legally dispense a prescription drug, a licensed pharmacist working in a licensed pharmacy must be presented a valid prescription from a licensed health care professional. The requirement that drugs be prescribed and dispensed by licensed professionals helps ensure patients receive the proper dose, take the medication correctly, and are informed about warnings, side effects, and other important information about the drug. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), as amended, FDA is responsible for ensuring the safety, effectiveness, and quality of domestic and imported drugs. To gain approval for the U.S. market, a drug manufacturer must demonstrate that a drug is safe and effective, and that the manufacturing methods and controls that will be used in the specific facility where it will be manufactured meet FDA standards. The same drug manufactured in another facility not approved by FDA--such as a foreign- made version of an approved drug--may not be sold legally in the United States. Drugs are subject to other statutory and regulatory standards relating to purity, labeling, manufacturing, and packaging. Failure to meet these standards could result in a drug being considered illegal for sale in the United States. The FDCA requires that drugs be dispensed with labels that include the name of the prescriber, directions for use, and cautionary statements, among other things. A drug is considered misbranded if its labeling or container is misleading, or if the label fails to include required information. Prescription drugs dispensed without a prescription are also considered misbranded. In addition, if a drug is susceptible to deterioration and must, for example, be maintained in a temperature-controlled environment, it must be packaged and labeled in accordance with regulations and manufacturer standards. Drugs must also be handled to prevent adulteration, which may occur, for example, if held under unsanitary conditions leading to possible contamination. FDA-approved drugs manufactured in foreign countries, including those sold over the Internet, are subject to the same requirements as domestic drugs. Further, imported drugs may be denied entry into the United States if they "appear" to be unapproved, adulterated, or misbranded, among other things. While the importation of such drugs may be illegal, FDA has allowed individuals to bring small quantities of certain drugs into the United States for personal use under certain circumstances. We obtained 1 or more samples of 11 of the 13 drugs we targeted, both with and without a patient-provided prescription. Drug samples we received from other foreign pharmacies came from Argentina, Costa Rica, Fiji, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey. Most of the drugs--45 of 68--were obtained without a patient-provided prescription. These included drugs for which physician supervision is of particular importance due to the possibility of severe side effects, such as Accutane, or the high potential for abuse and addiction, such as the narcotic painkiller hydrocodone. (See table 2.) Although most of the samples we received were obtained without a patient-provided prescription, prescription requirements varied. Five U.S. and all 18 Canadian pharmacies from which we obtained drug samples required the patient to provide a prescription. The remaining 24 U.S. pharmacies generally provided a prescription based on a general medical questionnaire filled out online by the patient. Questionnaires requested information on the patient's physical characteristics, medical history, and condition for which drugs were being purchased. Several pharmacy Web sites indicated that a U.S.-licensed physician reviews the completed questionnaire and issues a prescription. The other foreign Internet pharmacies we ordered from generally had no prescription requirements, and many did not seek information regarding the patient's medical history or condition. The process for obtaining a drug from many of these pharmacies involved only selecting the desired medication and submitting the necessary billing and shipping information. (See table 3.) None of the 21 prescription drug samples we received from other foreign Internet pharmacies included a dispensing pharmacy label that provided patient instructions for use, and only 6 of these samples came with warning information. Lack of instructions and warnings on these drugs leaves consumers who take them at risk for potentially dangerous drug interactions or side effects from incorrect or inappropriate use. For example, we received 2 samples purporting to be Viagra, a drug used to treat male sexual dysfunction, without any warnings or instructions for use. (See fig. 1.) According to its manufacturer, this drug should not be prescribed for individuals who are currently taking certain heart medications, as it can lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Additionally, two samples of Roaccutan, a foreign version of Accutane, arrived without any instructions in English. (See fig. 2.) Possible side effects of this drug include birth defects and severe mental disturbances. Compounding the concerns regarding the lack of warnings and patient instructions for use, none of the other foreign pharmacies ensured patients were under the care of a physician by requiring that a prescription be submitted before the order is filled. We observed other evidence of improper handling among 13 of the 21 drug samples we received from other foreign Internet pharmacies. For example, 3 samples of Humulin N were not shipped in accordance with manufacturer handling specifications. Despite the requirement that this drug be stored under temperature-controlled and insulated conditions, the samples we received were shipped in envelopes without insulation. (See fig. 3.) Similarly, 6 samples of other drugs were shipped in unconventional packaging, in some instances with the apparent intention of concealing the actual contents of the package. For example, the sample purporting to be OxyContin was shipped in a plastic compact disc case wrapped in brown packing tape--no other labels or instructions were included, and a sample of Crixivan was shipped inside a sealed aluminum can enclosed in a box labeled "Gold Dye and Stain Remover Wax." (See fig. 4.) Additionally, 5 samples we received were damaged and included tablets that arrived in punctured blister packs, potentially exposing pills to damaging light or moisture. (See fig. 5.) One drug manufacturer noted that damaged packaging may also compromise the validity of drug expiration dates. Among the 21 drug samples from other foreign pharmacies, manufacturers determined that 19 were not approved for the U.S. market for various reasons, including that the labeling or the facilities in which they were manufactured had not been approved by FDA. For example, the manufacturer of one drug noted that 2 samples we received of that drug were packaged under an alternate name used for the Mexican market. The manufacturer of another drug found that 3 samples we received of that drug were manufactured at a facility unapproved to produce drugs for the U.S. market. In all but 4 instances, however, manufacturers determined that the chemical composition of the samples we received from other foreign Internet pharmacies was comparable to the chemical composition of the drugs we had ordered. Two samples of one drug were found by the manufacturer to be counterfeit and contained a different chemical composition than the drug we had ordered. In both instances the manufacturer reported that samples had less quantity of the active ingredient, and the safety and efficacy of the samples could not be determined. Manufacturers also found 2 additional samples to have a significantly different chemical composition than that of the product we ordered. In contrast to the drug samples received from other foreign Internet pharmacies, all 47 of the prescription drug samples we received from Canadian and U.S. Internet pharmacies included labels from the dispensing pharmacy that generally provided patient instructions for use and 87 percent of these samples (41 of 47) included warning information. Furthermore, all samples were shipped in accordance with special handling requirements, where applicable, and arrived undamaged. Manufacturers reported that 16 of the 18 samples from Canadian Internet pharmacies were unapproved for sale in the United States, citing for example unapproved labeling and packaging. However, the samples were all found to be comparable in chemical composition to the products we ordered. Finally, the manufacturer found that 1 sample of a moisture- sensitive medication from a U.S. Internet pharmacy was inappropriately removed from the sealed manufacturer container and dispensed in a pharmacy bottle. Table 4 summarizes the problems we identified among the 68 samples we received. We observed questionable characteristics and business practices of some of the Internet pharmacies from which we received drugs. We ultimately did not receive six of the orders we placed and paid for, suggesting the potential fraudulent nature of some Internet pharmacies or entities representing themselves as such. The six orders were for Clozaril, Humulin N, and Vicodin, and cost over $700 in total. Five of these orders were placed with non-Canadian foreign pharmacies and one was placed with a pharmacy whose location we could not determine. We followed up with each pharmacy in late April and early May of 2004 to determine the status. Three indicated they would reship the product, but as of June 10, 2004, we had not received the shipments. Three others did not respond to our inquiry. We determined that at least eight of the return addresses included on samples we received from other foreign Internet pharmacies were shipped from locations that raise questions about the entities that provided the samples. For example, we found a shopping mall in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at the return address provided on a sample of Lipitor. Authorities assisting us in locating this address found it impossible to identify which, if any, of the many retail stores mailed the package. The return address for a sample of Celebrex was found to be a business in Cozumel, Mexico, but representatives of that business informed authorities that it had no connection to an Internet pharmacy operation. Finally, the return addresses on samples of Humulin N and Zoloft were found to be private residences in Lahore, Pakistan. Certain practices of Internet pharmacies may render it difficult for consumers to know exactly what they are buying. Some non-Canadian foreign Internet pharmacies appeared to offer U.S. versions of brand name drugs on their Web sites, but attempted to substitute an alternative drug during the order process. In some cases, other foreign pharmacies substituted alternative drugs after the order was placed. For example, one Internet pharmacy advertised brand name Accutane, which we ordered. The sample we received was actually a generic version of the drug made by an overseas manufacturer. About 21 percent of the Internet pharmacies from which we received drugs (14 of 68) were under investigation by regulatory agencies. The reasons for the investigations by DEA and FDA include allegations of selling controlled substances without a prescription; selling adulterated, misbranded, or counterfeit drugs; selling prescription drugs where no doctor-patient relationship exists; smuggling; and mail fraud. The pharmacies under investigation were concentrated among the U.S. pharmacies that did not require a patient-provided prescription (nine) and other foreign (four) pharmacies. One Canadian pharmacy was also included among those under investigation. Consumers can readily obtain many prescription drugs over the Internet without providing a prescription--particularly from certain U.S. and foreign Internet pharmacies outside of Canada. Drugs available include those with special safety restrictions, for which patients should be monitored for side effects, and narcotics, where the potential for abuse is high. For these types of drugs in particular, a prescription and physician supervision can help ensure patient safety. In addition to the lack of prescription requirements, some Internet pharmacies can pose other safety risks for consumers. Many foreign Internet pharmacies outside of Canada dispensed drugs without instructions for patient use, rarely provided warning information, and in four instances provided drugs that were not the authentic products we ordered. Consumers who purchase drugs from foreign Internet pharmacies that are outside of the U.S. regulatory framework may also receive drugs that are unapproved by FDA and manufactured in facilities that the agency has not inspected. Other risks consumers may face were highlighted by the other foreign Internet pharmacies that fraudulently billed us, provided drugs we did not order, and provided false or questionable return addresses. It is notable that we identified these numerous problems despite the relatively small number of drugs we purchased, consistent with problems recently identified by state and federal regulatory agencies. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be pleased to respond to any questions you or other Members of the Subcommittee may have at this time. For future contacts regarding this testimony, please call Marcia Crosse at (202) 512-7119. Other individuals who made key contributions include Randy DiRosa, Margaret Smith, and Corey Houchins-Witt. This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. It may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without further permission from GAO. However, because this work may contain copyrighted images or other material, permission from the copyright holder may be necessary if you wish to reproduce this material separately.

Summary:
As the demand for and the cost of prescription drugs rise, many consumers have turned to the Internet to purchase them. However, the global nature of the Internet can hinder state and federal efforts to identify and regulate Internet pharmacies to help assure the safety and efficacy of products sold. Recent reports of unapproved and counterfeit drugs sold over the Internet have raised further concerns. This testimony summarizes a GAO report: Internet Pharmacies: Some Pose Safety Risks for Consumers, GAO-04-820 (June 17, 2004). GAO was asked to examine (1) the extent to which certain drugs can be purchased over the Internet without a prescription; (2) whether the drugs are handled properly, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and authentic; and (3) the extent to which Internet pharmacies are reliable in their business practices. GAO attempted to purchase up to 10 samples of 13 different drugs, each from a different pharmacy Web site, including sites in the United States, Canada, and other foreign countries. GAO assessed the condition of the samples it received and forwarded the samples to their manufacturers to determine whether they were approved by FDA, safe, and authentic. GAO also confirmed the locations of several Internet pharmacies and undertook measures to examine the reliability of their business practices. GAO obtained most of the prescription drugs it sought from a variety of Internet pharmacy Web sites without providing a prescription. GAO obtained 68 samples of 11 different drugs--each from a different pharmacy Web site in the United States, Canada, or other foreign countries, including Argentina, Costa Rica, Fiji, India, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Spain, Thailand, and Turkey. Five U.S. and all 18 Canadian pharmacy sites from which GAO received samples required a patient-provided prescription, whereas the remaining 24 U.S. and all 21 foreign pharmacy sites outside of Canada provided a prescription based on their own medical questionnaire or had no prescription requirement. Among the drugs GAO obtained without a prescription were those with special safety restrictions and highly addictive narcotic painkillers. GAO identified several problems associated with the handling, FDA-approval status, and authenticity of the 21 samples received from Internet pharmacies located in foreign countries outside of Canada. Fewer problems were identified among pharmacies in Canada and the United States. None of the foreign pharmacies outside of Canada included dispensing pharmacy labels that provide instructions for use, few included warning information, and 13 displayed other problems associated with the handling of the drugs. For example, 3 samples of a drug that should be shipped in a temperature-controlled environment arrived in envelopes without insulation. Manufacturer testing revealed that most of these drug samples were unapproved for the U.S. market because, for example, the labeling or the facilities in which they were manufactured had not been approved by FDA; however, manufacturers found the chemical composition of all but 4 was comparable to the product GAO ordered. Four samples were determined to be counterfeit products or otherwise not comparable to the product GAO ordered. Similar to the samples received from other foreign pharmacies, manufacturers found most of those from Canada to be unapproved for the U.S. market; however, manufacturers determined that the chemical composition of all drug samples obtained from Canada were comparable to the product GAO ordered. Some Internet pharmacies were not reliable in their business practices. Most instances identified involved pharmacies outside of the United States and Canada. GAO did not receive six orders for which it had paid. In addition, GAO found questionable entities located at the return addresses on the packaging of several samples, such as private residences. Finally, 14 of the 68 pharmacy Web sites from which GAO obtained samples were found to be under investigation by regulatory agencies for reasons including selling counterfeit drugs and providing prescription drugs where no valid doctor-patient relationship exists. Nine of these were U.S. sites, 1 a Canadian site, and 4 were other foreign Internet pharmacy sites.