|
|
Austin – State Rep. Dianne White Delisi today announced that her HB 1676, which creates a public awareness campaign concerning questionable solicitations for the purchase of prescription drugs, has gone to the governor's desk for signature. Known fondly around the Capitol as the "drug spammer bill," Delisi's legislation calls for a public education campaign to inform Texans about how to safely purchase pharmaceuticals over the Internet.
Rep. Delisi reports getting unsolicited offers to her Capitol e-mail address every day offering to sell large quantities of prescription drugs - to include those with a high potential for abuse - without the need for a doctor's prescription! These ads may also offer "generic" and "herbal" versions of these same products where none exist.
There are a number of Internet-based drug stores, typically based in foreign countries, whose unsolicited offers may prove to be dangerous to your health. Delisi explained, "No reputable pharmacy advertises this way. Yet, consumers looking for bargains may send hundreds of dollars to buy drugs with no guarantee of quality. A buyer may receive medications that are not of the same strength and purity they expect. They may even end up with fake pills that have no active ingredients at all."
"This is clearly a dangerous practice for the buyer. There is a lot of money made by unscrupulous sellers and a consumer may discover they have no recourse against a foreign-based drug vender," Delisi said.
Rep. Delisi's legislation calls on the Texas Attorney General and the State Board of Pharmacy to work together on an education campaign to teach Texans how to discern honest Internet pharmacies from the fly-by-nights.
"If Texans are educated to stop buying from these dishonest drug spammers, perhaps we will eventually see less of their junk e-mail in our inboxes. HB 1676 is a positive step for consumer protection. I think this legislation will serve as a model for other states to emulate, and look forward to the governor signing it," Delisi concluded.
###
|
