901am

New Media News Every Morning

18 charged for illegal sale of prescription drugs over the Internet

By

A federal grand jury in San Diego has indicted 18 individuals on racketeering and related charges for allegedly operating an Internet business that generated more than $126 million in gross revenues from the illegal sale of prescription pharmaceuticals. From August 2004 through June 2006, the online pharmaceutical distribution network Affpower enterprise allegedly received over 1 million Internet orders for controlled and non-controlled prescription pharmaceuticals from customers in all 50 states.

The defendants were charged variously with racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering; distribution and dispensing of controlled substances and conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances; mail and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; conspiracy to commit money laundering; and conspiracy to dispense and dispensing of misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud and mislead.

If convicted, the defendants face the following maximum prison sentences: 20 years in prison for RICO and RICO conspiracy; 20 years for mail and wire fraud; 20 years for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud; five years for conspiracy to distribute and dispense controlled substances; 20 years for money laundering; five years for conspiracy to violate the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and three years for violating the FDCA. The defendants also face millions of dollars in fines.

Originally posted on August 3, 2007 @ 9:09 am

Harris Poll shows number of ”Cyberchondriacs” increases to 160 million nationwide

By

Searching the Internet for health care information has become more widespread in the past year. Over the last two years, the number of people who have used the Internet to search for health-related information has also increased markedly from 53% in 2005 to 71%. This brings the number of all U.S. adults who have ever searched for health information online to 160 million, from 136 million in 2006 and 117 million in 2005 for a 37 percent increase over two years.

The proportion of these “cyberchondriacs” as Harris Interactive refers to those who search online either often or sometimes has also risen. Most adults who have ever looked for health information online claim that they have been at least somewhat successful in finding what they were looking for. In addition, the great majority believes the information to be at least somewhat reliable, and most of them have talked to their physicians about the information they found on the Internet.

These are some of the results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 1,010 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone by Harris Interactive between July 10 and 17, 2007

Originally posted on August 1, 2007 @ 9:28 am

MyMedicalRecords.com offers free advanced drug information and interaction tool

By

mymedicalrecords.jpgMyMedicalRecords.com (MMR), provider of web-based Personal Health Records (PHRs), has integrated the Cerner Multum Drug Content Database, which gives subscribers the ability to access detailed information on over 20,000 prescription and over the counter drugs to learn more about medications they are taking and to check for interactions.

The database links to the prescription list in each user’s MMR account. Users can click on any entry to get comprehensive information on that drug, or obtain a complete list of interactions, including with food. The system automatically checks for interactions with all drugs MMR members have entered in their prescription list and reports on potential threats between multiple medications.

“This potentially life-saving tool separates MyMedicalRecords.com from any other on-line Personal Health Record,” said Robert H. “Bob” Lorsch, MyMedicalRecords.com CEO. “Not only can our subscribers manage their prescriptions safely on-line, they also benefit from a knowledge base that provides greater insight into any dangerous drug interactions or side effects. This is the latest in a series of enhancements that make MMR the most user friendly Personal Health Record on the market.”

Originally posted on July 19, 2007 @ 11:59 am

5 Tips For Senior Citizens During The Pandemic 

By

If you’re at retirement age, or you know someone who is, then you’re likely concerned about staying safe during the pandemic. Although everyone is at risk from covid, older adults are some of the most at risk. Despite the first vaccines arriving, there are no guarantees against this deadly virus.  [Read more…]

Originally posted on February 22, 2021 @ 10:58 pm

senior biking in the park

3 Tips for Writing Better Medical Blogs

By

While writing comes naturally to some, most medical professionals who decide to take on the task of medical blogging quickly realize that they aren’t one of those kinds of people. As a medical professional, you’ve dedicated your life to knowing how to perform procedures like colon and rectal surgery, not how to write to an audience about it. Because of this, it can be very difficult for doctors or other medical workers to feel like they’re having success with their blogging efforts. So to help with this, here are three tips that can make your medical blogs a little easier to write and better to read. [Read more…]

Originally posted on April 14, 2016 @ 9:02 am