A Richmond, Virginia, doctor named Torino Jennings is accused of signing up to 100,000 illegal prescriptions for the muscle relaxant Soma, as well as other drugs, over the past five years. The prescriptions are illegal because he issued them on behalf of an online pharmacy no prescription, without first examining the patients in person.

Many rogue online pharmacies aren’t technically “no prescription” pharmacies. They have physicians, like Jennings, who write prescriptions for patients based on what are called “remote consultations.” While the standards of remote-consultation pharmacies are generally higher than those of pharmacies that require no prescription, they do not meet the safety standards that you deserve — and should demand — as a patient.

Sometime back, the Washington Post ran a background check on remote-consultation physicians and reported –

A Colorado doctor had a history of alcohol abuse. An Arkansas doctor was being treated for bipolar disorder and drug dependency. A Florida doctor had twice been cited for providing inadequate care to elderly patients, one of whom died. A Texas doctor was under investigation by the FBI for suspected Medicare fraud and later committed suicide. A California doctor was disciplined for operating under a fictitious name. A North Carolina doctor had held 22 jobs in five years

When it comes to prescription requirements, there are three kinds of online pharmacies — two of which are both illegal and potentially dangerous:

1. No Prescription Pharmacies. Some Web sites will sell you prescription drugs (including controlled substances) without a prescription, a practice that is illegal in the United States. As PharmacyChecker.com warns:

Ordering from such sites is exceedingly risky to your health and could lead to unauthorized use of your credit card and/or identity theft.

2. Remote-Consultation Pharmacies. Some consumers wish to purchase drugs without having to visit a physician in person — either for convenience, to save money, or (in some cases) to obtain medications they might otherwise be unable to obtain. Remote-consultation pharmacies prescribe medications based on the patient’s self-reported medical history. Explains PharmacyChecker:

U.S. states have different laws on what constitutes a valid doctor-patient medical consultation. As an advisory, the American Medical Association and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have issued statements asserting that remote consultations are a substandard medical practice when there is no prior doctor-patient relationship, one established by an in-person physical exam.

3. Pharmacies Licensed by the U.S. or Canadian Government. Licensed online pharmacies require you to provide an original prescription, obtained from an in-person meeting with your physician. Licensed online pharmacies include major national chains, neighborhood pharmacies, and mail-order fulfillment centers in the United States and Canada.

The eDrugSearch.com database only includes licensed pharmacies that require an original doctor’s prescription, based on an in-person consultation.