From Spam to Percodan?

Ok, so occasionally I browse through my spam for the sake of comedic value. I'm sure lots of people do, and I'm not alone in this.

When you get past all the penis enlargements, breast enlargements, free sex passwords and loan offers, there's always a few that seem to shine.

The following mail came to my attention and while it's not funny as such, I had a quick peek out of curiousity:

From :
"Ed" < TecXYkQYc@time.com >

Subject :
Quick Access To The Widest Range Of Drugs from Ed Jakob

Discount Prescription Drugs Are Here!
We are proud to provide affordable health care!

We understand that the high cost of pharmaceuticals can prevent you from obtaining the medications you need, negatively impacting your standard of living and quality of life. Visit our site and save your money!


Never Pay High Prices On Prescription Drugs Again!

And so from the link I ended up on said site...

Their tagline of "Medications Prescribed Online and Shipped Overnight to Your Door" intrigued me.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm sure that the site could be a very valid one, people who are too depressed to even leave their house and visit a doctor can just order themselves some prozac over the net. Unfortunately the bullshit alarm started blazing with klaxons, horns and really effective flashing lights, within my mind. Mainly due to the shitty way I found the link, to be fair.

I mean, come on... how could this site work? How could medication be prescribed for you online?

Their FAQ section (which is cunningly hidden at the bottom of the page, within a blue bar... funny that considering most IE browsers are set up to default unread links as the same coloured blue....) gives me the following answer:

"Q. How Can I Order Medications Without Seeing A Doctor?

A. As you know, the Internet has changed the way we live. A lot of the new services that were never in existence a few years ago, are now commonplace. Online medical reviews are among the �new� services that have been created as a result of the Internet. Although they are a relatively new idea in health care, they are becoming widely accepted as a convenient way to improve patient access to physician care.

Instead of a traditional physical exam by the physician, the patient completes an online questionnaire and communicates with the physician using our secure online communication system. Even though online medical reviews will never completely replace traditional medicine, in certain circumstances they do give patients the ability to get treatment for a number of conditions that may not require another physical exam.

For Instance � If you have recently had a physical exam with a physician, in most cases you do not need to have another physical to receive a prescription for the medication you need. Instead, you simply ask for your medical history to be reviewed by one of our US licensed physicians. A thorough review of your medical history often times is enough for one of our doctors to be able to write the prescription.

If one of our physicians or one of our pharmacists has a question about anything, a customer service representative will contact you before choosing whether to write the prescription or not."


When in doubt, confuse with red tape?

But hey, if a physician says that my request for prozac is valid, then who am I to complain, eh?
So I carried on....

30 Prozac 20mg $ 219

Hmm... now I know I'm living in England here, so can't speak for the American health service, but that to me seems a lot.
Especially seeing as I spent 2 years working as a Pharmacuetical Assistant and was taking prescriptions for said item.

Now, I've never been depressed.
As in really seriously medically depressed.
But I can't imagine me being so depressed as to want to spend xhundred % more on something just for the sake of getting it without seeing a doctor and without leaving my house.
As I say I've never been that depressed, so if people would then I apologise if I have no idea what I'm talking about. I clearly state that.
Either that or it's just my financial tightness... of almost the stereotypical Scottish Jew variety....

But anyway, hey, maybe I would be that depressed, so lets see what the doctor says...
I click to buy, and lo and behold.... one questionnaire sheet

Now, maybe it's the cynic in me (Can I get medication to cure that?) but surely a quick visit to an online doctor could give you the symptons for depression? The symtoms that would require a doctor to prescribe prozac? Hell, a conversation with my old English teacher could...

I'm half tempted to actually try and order some, and be as undepressed as I can in my symptoms, but money makes the world go round my friend....