HEALTH AUTHORITIES WORRY ABOUT DANGERS OF SELF-MEDICATION

Taking unauthorized prescription drugs can turn deadly.

In February, an 18-month-old Anaheim girl died after her parents took
her to a Tustin gift shop for medical treatment. They thought she was
receiving a penicillin injection.

Although the cause of death is still under investigation, authorities
say such incidents are far from unusual in Southern California.

Al Davidson, drug program chief for the California Department of
Health Services food and drug branch, has investigated dozens of store
owners for selling prescription drugs to customers without
prescriptions over the past 20 years. In recent years, he said, his
department's workload has substantially increased, with most of the
complaints so far coming from Southern California.

With the exception of following up on some isolated complaints,
Davidson said, the health department has yet to do any full-scale
investigation or crackdown in the Bay Area -- but he is anxious to
move his operations north.

``I suspect it's much the same as in Southern California,'' he
said.

Selling prescription medications to customers is a misdemeanor
punishable by as long as a year in prison and a $5,000 fine. Repeat
offenders can get a year in prison and a $10,000 fine.

From last October through January, there have been 107 seizures of
illegal pharmaceuticals and six arrests for smuggling medicines at
five Southern California border locations, said Vince Bond, public
affairs officer for U.S. Customs in Southern California.

That is not including a seizure February 28 in which customs officials
at San Ysidro near San Diego seized more than $52,000 in illegal
prescription drugs, he said.

In December, the health department issued a warning to customers not
to purchase or use prescription drugs obtained from grocery stores,
gift shops, beauty salons or other retail establishments that are not
licensed pharmacies or health-care providers.

The warning came after a bust of six retail stores in Westminster and
Long Beach.

The Westminster businesses were caught illegally selling outdated and
improperly stored antibiotics, analgesics and the weight-control drug
fenfluramine, which recently was taken off the market because of its
association with damaged heart valves in some patients.

In Long Beach, investigators found prescription drugs imported from
Asia, including antibiotics, analgesics and tranquilizers.

Santa Ana police formed a special task force last year to crack down
on the sale of illegal prescription drugs after the death of a
13-month-old boy who was treated by an unlicensed doctor. Along with
the state Health Department, the police raided a discount store and
told the owners to stop selling prescription drugs.

When investigators returned several months later on a follow-up visit,
they found 200 medicines hidden in boxes in a back room -- among them
were Flagyl for yeast infections, Aldomet to lower blood pressure and
isoprinosine, an experimental AIDS drug.

``People can say that you can buy these drugs with no prescription
because that's just the way it's done,'' said Santa Ana Police
Sergeant Gary Bruce, who helped investigate the 13-month-old boy's
death. ``You can say that it's no big deal. But it is a big deal when
people die.''