"Thai-based Internet pharmacies have been a particular problem lately," says TIME Washington correspondent Dick Thompson. "They've been the most flagrant in their drug sales." President Clinton has expressed his concern over the safety risks inherent in off-the-book prescriptions, but Congress has yet to approve any regulatory measures. It looks like Clinton may get more cooperation abroad. Although he's already experienced some success here at home, cracking down on domestic pharmacies left and right, Monday's bust marks the first (although probably not the last) time U.S. authorities have worked in tandem with a foreign government to mount their increasingly vigilant assault on illegal online pharmacies. Even the most authority-averse technophile would have to admit that, as governmental enforcement goes, this particular use of the worldwide nature of the Internet is a step in the right direction.
No More Browsing for Barbiturates on Thailand's Web
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Men who took to the Internet in search of an easy Viagra fix may have to wait a while longer for their miracle drugs to arrive. Monday, the long arm of the U.S. Customs Department stretched into Thailand, where federal agents arrested more than 20 people accused of selling prescription drugs online and confiscated more than 2.5 million doses of various drugs. The products — ranging from Viagra to fen-phen — were to be shipped to primarily American customers, without, officials say, any regard for patient safety.