DEA To Propose Easier Electronic Prescription of Pharmaceutical Meds, Including OxyContin, Ritalin

This is a truly bizarre story: the Wall Street Journal reports that the DEA will introduce a proposed rule as early as next week to "eas[e] a barrier" to online prescription of pharamaceutical meds, apparently including Schedule II drugs like OxyContin, Ritalin and Adderall, which are prone to recreational and abusive use.

Why is this a strange move? Because the recreational use and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs is already a very serious health issue in the United States, one that is actually eclipsing the health problems involved with traditional street drugs like heroin and cocaine.  More 12 and 13 year olds now abuse pharmaceutical drugs than use marijuana, a fact that is noted in the White House's National Drug Control Strategy for 2008 (pdf).

Why, then, is the DEA pushing for easier online access to these drugs? And who is lobbying the DEA to do this, when it clearly will only make the DEA's job harder?

(Update: Pharmalot has coverage here.)

Comments

[Jesse]

Pharmacy chains, that's who. Their employees keep getting guns and knives shoved in their faces by fiending armed robbers.

[Ana]

How I wish you were right!
Don't do it!
You're dealing with two big issues.
You cannot say that one is eclipsing other.
Do you have an idea how much people are fighting to make some sense on legal drugs that are killing infants and adolescents?
Do you have an idea of side effects of these drugs?
I cannot believe that you, an attorney, is using this kind of argumentation.
You really should start researching on psych-drugs harms.
You have no idea of what is to loose a family member because of drug-induced suicide ideation.
Adolescents are being chemically castrated by SSRIs.