No CL Rx . . . No Problem

[Emile]

Let’s not get too excited about patients ordering CL’s on line, with or without a current Rx. In fact why bother with an Rx at all.

If I can order OxyContin, Vicadin, Valium, Demerol, Morphine, etc. online without an RX and have it delivered at my front door the next day what’s the big issue with contact lenses. . . . eh ! All you need to order drugs or contact lenses is a credit card. You don’t need no stinkin Rx. So lets just get over it.

And, the same holds true for glasses.

We are now in a “global economy” and the whole world does not play by our rules. When we play in a global economy, particularly on the web we are reduced to the least common denominator.

[paw]

"Evil flourishes when good men do nothing."

Just because it happens doesn't mean we have to accept it. Uphold your standards and fight against those who don't.

[Cowboy]

Emile,

We should worry about it. It takes from your mouth. There are things we can do about it. But, until all privates stand united and take on the companies that have enough money to fight us individually but not as a whole, we will continue to loose. Sure, you may not need an rx for all of those things, but who says the Md's like it any less than we do? The problem is not that we are a global economy, it is that there is no regulations on borders with the internet. Consider that the internet has so much to offer and so little staff to monitor and regulate. Then there would be violations and a police force for such. But I am getting off the subject, In short terms, if you Rx the product, then you can be liable. If you control the conditions you are less likely to have patient complaints and/or legal problems.

Thats my opinion and I'm stickin' to it!!

:cheers:

Cowboy

[Cowboy]

Emile, Just noticed you are in NH. What part? I was born and raised in Manch-Vegas. Practicing in the Salem area.

Feed some info my way, perhaps we have actually run into each other, if not, maybe we could.

:D

Cowboy

[jediron]

Emile I agree with Cowboy and Paw. What are your states standards? In N.Y. you can't fill and rx (drugs or contacts) with out
a Dr's written RX. Because we have been getting calls from 1-800
to fill RX's and we ducument pretty heavily what we told 1-800
to cover all legal issue's. We also note it in the patients file that the doctor keeps. Because as far as I know the law "if it is not written done on the record and it goes to a court of law all they have to say where is it written that you told them this? You have to document everything. I would be very wary if the practice in your state allows for that loose keeping of the law. I don't think
your giving us all the facts, just my thought but that seems very strange.:hammer: :drop:

[Cowboy]

Emile,

I want to continue on your thought of the CL rx. If you place an order for contact lenses and for argument sakes, they are filled correctly, but you end up with corneal problems or an infection or herpes zoster, who are you going to hold responsible, remember, you self prescribed yourself. I know that in our office, if a patient orders CL's online shortly after having an exam and fitting, we document it and place a copy of the fax request for rx varification in their file as it relieves us of the liability. I have less sympathy for those who do not respect the profession and who don't respect themselves. We as professionals educate as much as we can to help a patient understand some of the risks that are involved with on-line ordering, but, alas, with very little prevail. Most patients think we want them to stay in our office because we want the profits, well hate to break it to ya, THERE ARE NO PROFITS IN THE CONTACT LENS MARKET!!! Believe it or not, there are those practices that are simply out there in your best intrest.

Cowboy

[Emile]

Let me clarify my first post.. I am not referring to ordering drugs or CL’s from a neighboring State. I refer to ordering from off shore, Third Word countries that have no control over the export of drugs or CL's. Just check out a few sites in your browser. Tell them you want 1000 20mg OxiContin tabs and they send it.

I direct your attention to the following site:

http://www.casacolumbia.org/pdshoppr....asp?itemid=61

an abstract of which appears below for your convenient reference. I’ll be very interested to see how you would propose to handle a problem with an dispenser in some end of the world country.

You've Got Drugs! Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet
“You’ve Got Drugs!” Prescription Drug Pushers on the Internet, a white paper released by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University and Beau Dietl & Associates (BDA), reveals that dangerous and addictive controlled substances are easily available over the Internet without prescription to individuals of any age.

The CASA white paper was originally slated to be part of an exhaustive, three-year CASA study on the diversion and abuse of controlled prescription drugs – those that are dangerous and addictive. But upon uncovering the scope of the problem, CASA considered the threat to children too immediate to wait until the full study was completed at the end of this year. CASA and BDA released this part of the report now to alert parents, teachers and others of the grave risk that Internet drug pushers present to American children.

Emile

[Cowboy]

Emile,

Well that sure does clear up your original post!! I think you got the responses based on the contact lens category more so than the 'drug pusher' concept. I do find it deeply distubing that you can get almost any form of drug on-line. But, here again I say, who is going to police it? With so many ways around the internet, there is virtually no way to solve the problem. However, as a parent, I block key words, anything to do with drugs, alcohol, porn, etc. so that my child has very limited access through the internet. I believe it is our responsibility as parents and as simple human beings to protect one another. As a society, we have lost that ability. We have become a race of fast pace and ME ME ME. It seems we have forgotten what it means to help thy neighbor. Nonetheless, I think that with circumstances such as thing drug pushing issue, we just might be able to find that human kindness that is itching to escape all of us and protect each other from harm.

Just my thoughts and opinion


:cheers:

Cowboy

[Rophod]

I have a formal complaint filled to the Fl Dept of Health against Visiondirect.com for dispensing and changing a patient's CL without a Rx. They are out of Canada so at present it is a cease and desist order pending. I filled a complaint with the FDH against people selling colored plano contact lenses on the side of the road around Christmas time. Ended in an arrest of a group out of Gainsville that was setting up these tints all around the state. You can do something against illegal activity when you see it. It took alot of calls to get to the right person to follow through but I felt like I had to do my part to help eliminate (year right) or at least slow this problem. So next time you see people selling Cls without an Rx at the flea market or tee shirt shop. Do something. If we all did it would help. For anyone in Florida, let me know and I will give you the name of the investigator that is working on my cases. It will save you about a dozen calls.

[Cowboy]

Thats great R. People like you are needed continuously!! I have to say that I would do the same as you did, as it furiates the hell out of me that people get away with little things like that. It even upsets me that VisionDirect and 1800Contacts get away with it. The more of you/us the better we can make ourselves feel and provide a good for our optical community.

:cheers:

Cowboy