August 2000 - Internet Company Charged With Illegally Selling Viagra Prescriptions
Attorney General Janet Napolitano filed a lawsuit against A Fresh Life Inc., a Nevada Internet company, alleging violations of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act, Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 44-1521, and illegal prescription distribution of Viagra to Arizona residents.
The complaint alleges that prescriptions for the drug were written by doctors who are not licensed in Arizona and who do not physically examine the patients for whom they prescribe the medication. State of Arizona v. A Fresh Life Inc. et al., No. C20003252 (Ariz., June 21, 2000).
More than 90 deaths were reported to the Food and Drug Administration just a few months before Viagra was approved for sale in the United States. Many of those deaths, however, were caused by an adverse interaction with nitroglycerin, a drug commonly prescribed to treat heart disease.
The Internet company advertises, promotes, offers to sell and sells prescription medications over the net on their Web site www.afreshlife.com. The company employs doctors who allegedly write the prescriptions, later filled by Absolute Care Pharmacy and shipped to customers.
According to the attorney general's complaint, the Web site provides the prescription drug to consumers but does not warn that they should be examined by a physician before taking the drug. Neither do the doctors ask about the buyers' age, gender or medical history.
The attorney general cited two instances when its female employees posed as male customers and purchased Viagra from "A Fresh Life". Both women were able to acquire large doses of Viagra from the internet company. One of the female patients was 17 years old and posed as a 62-year-old man. The other, a 38-year-old female, posed as a 49-year-old man. Both purchased ten 100-milligram tablets and paid for them with a credit card.
The company is being charged with misleading the consumers to believe that it is a medically sound practice to prescribe and fill prescriptions for Viagra over the Internet , and that it is safe to take the drug without seeing a physician and to choose the strength of Viagra that they wish to take. The attorney general's complaint that none of those assertions were true. Defendants denied these allegations and maintained that they screened all buyers carefully.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of taking any drug or supplement, call Law Offices of Robert Dourian now at 800-790-8856 or CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT A SIMPLE CASE FORM. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to review your case, we will work on a contingent fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary award or recovery of funds. Don't delay! You may have a valid claim and be entitled to compensation for your injuries, but a lawsuit must be filed before the statute of limitations expires.
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