FDA blocks overseas Cipro Excerpted for fair use, educational purposes:

October 19, 2001 FDA to Block Illegal Cipro Sales Filed at 2:49 p.m. ET WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration has ordered all private Cipro shipments arriving from overseas to be stopped at the border, a move to crack down on illegal Internet antibiotic sales spurred by the anthrax scare.

The FDA also is investigating reports that Internet sites are selling fake Cipro instead of the real medication.

Dozens of Web sites have sprung up in the last two weeks promising to sell anthrax-treating Cipro packages without having to visit a doctor -- at a whopping $7 a pill.

Selling Cipro without a prescription is illegal. Cipro does cause side effects that mean some people should not take it, and some of these Cipro kits don't even promise the proper dose to fend off anthrax. Worse, health authorities worry that some Internet-sold products may not be Cipro but a fake.

Some of these Internet sites are based overseas, and the FDA's alert to U.S. Customs Thursday is the agency's first step in stopping those sales. The agency also is poised to begin sending foreign Web sites warning letters telling them to immediately cease Cipro shipments here, an agency official said Friday.

If the companies do not stop, the FDA's next step would be formal requests to foreign health regulators to intervene, a move that worked two years ago in a similar FDA crackdown on illegal Internet drug sales.

The move comes as state pharmacy boards notified the FDA Thursday that they are beginning investigations into U.S.-based Internet sites illegally selling Cipro.

It is legal to buy prescription drugs over the Internet only if the patient has a legitimate prescription, which online drugstores often require to be faxed to them. Many state laws make clear that filling out an online questionnaire for a doctor employed by the Web site to scan does not meet that requirement.

The FDA's Internet probes come as the government struggles to explain to Americans that only people truly exposed to anthrax should take antibiotics, and that there is enough Cipro and two equally effective drugs -- doxycycline and penicillin -- on hand.

``We think it's a bad idea for consumers to buy these antibiotics and to use them indiscriminantly,'' said FDA pharmacy chief Tom McGinnis. Not only does Cipro cause side effects, but ``we're worried about antibiotic resistance when consumers take them without a legitimate need.''

In addition to the FDA's separate investigation of suspected fake Cipro, a senator has urged Customs and the Federal Trade Commissioner to crack down on all fake anthrax remedies. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote the agencies that he particularly wants Internet marketers of fake Cipro shut down within the month.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), October 19, 2001

Answers

FDA blocks overseas Cipro Excerpted for fair use, educational purposes:

October 19, 2001 FDA to Block Illegal Cipro Sales Filed at 2:49 p.m. ET WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Food and Drug Administration has ordered all private Cipro shipments arriving from overseas to be stopped at the border, a move to crack down on illegal Internet antibiotic sales spurred by the anthrax scare.

The FDA also is investigating reports that Internet sites are selling fake Cipro instead of the real medication.

Dozens of Web sites have sprung up in the last two weeks promising to sell anthrax-treating Cipro packages without having to visit a doctor -- at a whopping $7 a pill.

Selling Cipro without a prescription is illegal. Cipro does cause side effects that mean some people should not take it, and some of these Cipro kits don't even promise the proper dose to fend off anthrax. Worse, health authorities worry that some Internet-sold products may not be Cipro but a fake.

Some of these Internet sites are based overseas, and the FDA's alert to U.S. Customs Thursday is the agency's first step in stopping those sales. The agency also is poised to begin sending foreign Web sites warning letters telling them to immediately cease Cipro shipments here, an agency official said Friday.

If the companies do not stop, the FDA's next step would be formal requests to foreign health regulators to intervene, a move that worked two years ago in a similar FDA crackdown on illegal Internet drug sales.

The move comes as state pharmacy boards notified the FDA Thursday that they are beginning investigations into U.S.-based Internet sites illegally selling Cipro.

It is legal to buy prescription drugs over the Internet only if the patient has a legitimate prescription, which online drugstores often require to be faxed to them. Many state laws make clear that filling out an online questionnaire for a doctor employed by the Web site to scan does not meet that requirement.

The FDA's Internet probes come as the government struggles to explain to Americans that only people truly exposed to anthrax should take antibiotics, and that there is enough Cipro and two equally effective drugs -- doxycycline and penicillin -- on hand.

``We think it's a bad idea for consumers to buy these antibiotics and to use them indiscriminantly,'' said FDA pharmacy chief Tom McGinnis. Not only does Cipro cause side effects, but ``we're worried about antibiotic resistance when consumers take them without a legitimate need.''

In addition to the FDA's separate investigation of suspected fake Cipro, a senator has urged Customs and the Federal Trade Commissioner to crack down on all fake anthrax remedies. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, wrote the agencies that he particularly wants Internet marketers of fake Cipro shut down within the month.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), October 19, 2001.

cipro cost 1.25 + a pill, a full course to remedy anthrax infection is over 110 pills,+ doctors office, $7.00 a pill almost sounds reasonable, time to go dunk my head in some cold water to clear it!! There are other non-bayer owned antibiotics that combat anthrax, good old tetracycline is one, so i'm sure cheaper cures could be had.

-- bj pepper in C. MS. (pepper.pepper@excite.com), October 19, 2001.

some sources overseas were selling .40/pill, much cheaper than what you'd pay in the US. I guess the FDA didn't want that fact in the press release. Most prescription medicine is half the cost outside of our borders, that's why Mexican pharmacies do so much business along the border. I highly doubt the FDA shut down the imports for the reasons stated. It was probably more along the lines of doing a favor for their buddies at Bayer. Or worse.

Tetracycline would be better than nothing but I really wouldn't want to take that for 2 months because of the side-effects. Amoxicillin and Penicillin would be better. All 3 of those can be bought from vet supply stores.

-- Dave (something@somewhere.com), October 19, 2001.

I heard Cipro referred to as ciprofloxin on the radio. Is this the correct name and if so, is it related to the antibiotic known as Floxin? If so, then I need to know, as I had severe reactions to taking Floxin and would almost rather die than go through that again.

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), October 20, 2001.

Been a long time since I checked on here....but saw this and thought that I would share a cheapy way to get the meds that you may or may not need......You will laugh, but my hubby gets the fish pills and we take them....we haven't grown any gills yet! He can get Ceclor, penn,tetracycline,cipro,erythromycin and all sorts of stuff. He just orders them for the fish! They come in 200 to 250 mg. pills and in a bottle of 60 or so for under 10 bucks. Last time that we bought pennicillin, we did actually buy it to use on our pond of goldfish, but anyway....it was around 6 or 7 dollars. Get em at the feed store.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), October 25, 2001.

Thought that I would add....we just keep them on hand to use if we get sick. We hardly ever do, but to have those expensive ones on hand would be an awful waste of money if you didn't realy need them. The fish ones are just much cheaper. I once knew an Amishman that gave himself a shot of LA 200 for pneumonia! YIKES! He said that it smarted for a good long while~!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), October 26, 2001.

Didn't read this thread until now, but I'm sure you're still interested, Soni. Floxin is in the same group of antibiotics as Cipro, called quinolone antibiotics. Cipro is not recommended for those with allergic reactions to other quinolone antibiotics, according to my 1999 PDR [Physicians Desk Reference].

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), October 26, 2001.