NO TROUBLE BUYING NARCOTICS ONLINE

Reporter Gets Lortabs Without Answering Any Diagnostic Questions

WINCHESTER - Sometimes an investigative reporter's work goes down the
toilet.

In an effort to determine how easily narcotics can be purchased
online, The Winchester Sun authorized me to buy prescription drugs
that would be delivered to my door.

All it took was a simple Internet search to find a list of
cyberpharmacies offering pain medication. Twenty-four hours after
speaking on the phone with the pharmacy's "doctor," 90 Lortabs -- a
potent prescription painkiller that is commonly trafficked illegally
- -- were delivered to my home in a nondescript package.

Everyone I had spoken with before investigating illegal trafficking of
painkillers in Clark County -- law enforcement officials, prosecutors,
even a former drug trafficker -- told me that buying drugs on the
Internet was easy. I was eager to find out how easy. If I could find a
Web site willing to ship me Lortabs or Xanax or Oxycontin without a
prior prescription, without seeing a doctor in person, clearly anybody
could do the same thing.

Of a plethora of Internet pharmacies advertising Lor-tabs, I selected
one for no particular reason other than it offered the product I
wanted at a relatively reasonable cost. It informed me that after I
filled out a brief personal medical history, the company would
schedule a telephone consultation. After the consultation, I expected
to be offered a 30-day supply of Lortabs (90 pills) for $74, plus shipping.

Two days later, the phone rang.

"This is Manuel, physician's assistant, calling regarding your
consultation," he said. "Yes, I was expecting you," I replied. "What
is your date of birth?" he asked. I responded. "And what medication
are you requesting from us?"

Without asking me any questions about my symptoms or medical history,
without asking me about my pain, without any questions that one would
expect a physician to ask, Manuel asked me what drug I wanted. I told
him I would like a supply of Lortabs. Strong ones. The strongest ones
they make.

"Did you fax us your medical records?" he asked. This question caught
me off-guard. I knew when I began my investigation that some online
pharmacies -- perhaps most -- required clients to submit records to
document medical problems, but I had not read anything that required
me to do that.

"I did everything that the Web site told me I had to do," I insisted.
"It also requested you to fax us your medical records, sir," he replied.

Then, in an instant, it hit me: I used to see a chiropractor, although
it had been at least two years since my most recent visit. I assured
him that I would contact my chiropractor to have records faxed.

Twenty minutes later, I received an e-mail telling me that my request
for Lortabs was approved. About 24 hours later, the FedEx shipment
arrived at my home.

The package's label did not identify the shipper. The return address
was a street address in Tampa, Fla.

With Capt. Arlen Horton of the Clark County Sheriff's Department
looking on, I cut open the wrapping, pulled out the translucent
plastic cylinder filled with pale blue oblong tablets, opened the
childproof seal and dumped the container's contents into the toilet.
In seconds, 90 tablets, which could have been sold illegally on the
street for $900, were sucked into a whirlpool and disappeared.

In 25 days I would be authorized to get a refill, and 25 days later I
could buy yet another shipment of Lortabs -- all without seeing a physician.