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DEA Targets FedEx, UPS in Online Pharmacy Battle

AnaSCI

ADMINISTRATOR
Sep 17, 2003
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DEA Targets FedEx, UPS in Online Pharmacy Battle | StoptheDrugWar.org

Charged with cracking down on the diversion of prescription drugs, the DEA has pursed doctors, pharmacists, pharmacy chains, and wholesale drug suppliers. It has now turned a baleful eye on shipping companies as well, with differing results—at least so far.

The Orlando Sentinel reported Tuesday that both UPS and FedEx had admitted in corporate filings that they were the targets of DEA probes into packages of pills shipped from online pharmacies. Prescriptions filled by online pharmacies are illegal if there is not a real doctor-patient relationship, and the DEA maintains that prescriptions written by "cyber doctors" relying on online questionnaires are not legal.

FedEx has strongly pushed back against the DEA probe, but UPS has now buckled under the pressure. In a Friday statement, the DEA announced that UPS had agreed to forfeit $40 million it had been paid for shipments by online pharmacies and to enter into a "compliance program" to ensure online pharmacies can't use its services. The deal was part of a non-prosecution agreement the shipper signed with federal prosecutors in Northern California.

DEA accused UPS of knowingly shipping the illegally-prescribed drugs between 2003 and 2010 because "it was on notice, through some employees" that such activities were occurring. DEA also accused UPS of failing to do anything about it.

"DEA is aggressively targeting the diversion of controlled substances, as well as those who facilitate their unlawful distribution," said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart. "This investigation is significant and DEA applauds UPS for working to strengthen and enhance its practices in order to prevent future drug diversion."

FedEx may prove a tougher nut to crack. Officials there called the federal probe "absurd and disturbing" and said it threatened customer privacy. They also accused the DEA of failing to cooperate with them in efforts to resolve the problem.

"We are a transportation company — we are not law enforcement, we are not doctors and we are not pharmacists," FedEx spokesman Patrick Fitzgerald said in a prepared statement. "We have no interest in violating the privacy of our customers by opening and inspecting their packages in an attempt to determine the legality of the contents. We stand ready and willing to support and assist law enforcement. We cannot, however, do their jobs for them."

FedEx complained that rather than working with the shipping industry to come up with solutions, the Justice Department appeared focused on finding ways to prosecute shippers.

"This is unwarranted by law and a dangerous distraction at a time when the purported illegal activity by these pharmacies continues," Fitzgerald said.

FedEx has been a major campaign contributor to US Rep. John Mica (R-FL), whom the Sentinel reported had sent a letter to Leonhart and Attorney General Eric Holder asking them to recognize "the difficulty and unfairness of requiring those carriers to assume responsibility for the legality and validity of the contents of the millions of sealed packages that they pick up and deliver ever day."

Mica told the Sentinel that while he is "concerned about prescription drugs," it was inefficient to try to turn shipping companies into drug policy enforcers. "You can't stop commerce; you can't open every package," Mica said. "I'm only asking them for a reasonable approach."

But it doesn't appear that DEA and the Justice Department are interested in that.
San Francisco, CA
United States
 

srd1

AnaSCI VET / Donating Member
Feb 19, 2013
2,311
0
36
midwest usa
This is a prime example of our government and its agencies far far overeaching their authority and intended purpose. UPS buckling under the pressure sets a really scary precident for future problems of this nature. Paying the worthless pieces of shit 40 million dollars made it go away for them this time but whats next? Their real agenda is prob protecting big pharma campain contributors financial interests cause lets face it every drug known to man is ridiculously cheaper anywhere in the world but here in the usa. I personally know seniors that order their meds online cause its a third of the cost or cheaper so they dont have to choose between buying groceries or their meds. Alot of stupid laws make felons out of decent law abiding people.

Washington and its agencies are slowly and surely chipping away at our guaranteed rights and freedoms in so many ways what right should they have to open my personal property without my permission or a warrent? I believe things like this are just the tip of the iceberg guys and its only going to get worse cause we allow it.
Kudos for fed ex telling them to fuck off their not doing their jobs for them and shouldnt be held accountable for their incompetance.

Sorry to rant guys but Im a 37 year old american male veteran that literally cant stand the direction my my beloved country is headed at the hands of its current leaders and represenatives.
 
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srd1

AnaSCI VET / Donating Member
Feb 19, 2013
2,311
0
36
midwest usa
Not to mention Eric Holder should be in prison right now for his part in the murders from fast and furious not heading a gov. agency period.
 

Enigmatic707

AnaSCI VET
Feb 7, 2013
2,752
0
36
This is a prime example of our government and its agencies far far overeaching their authority and intended purpose. UPS buckling under the pressure sets a really scary precident for future problems of this nature. Paying the worthless pieces of shit 40 million dollars made it go away for them this time but whats next? Their real agenda is prob protecting big pharma campain contributors financial interests cause lets face it every drug known to man is ridiculously cheaper anywhere in the world but here in the usa. I personally know seniors that order their meds online cause its a third of the cost or cheaper so they dont have to choose between buying groceries or their meds. Alot of stupid laws make felons out of decent law abiding people.

Washington and its agencies are slowly and surely chipping away at our guaranteed rights and freedoms in so many ways what right should they have to open my personal property without my permission or a warrent? I believe things like this are just the tip of the iceberg guys and its only going to get worse cause we allow it.
Kudos for fed ex telling them to fuck off their not doing their jobs for them and shouldnt be held accountable for their incompetance.

Sorry to rant guys but Im a 37 year old american male veteran that literally cant stand the direction my my beloved country is headed at the hands of its current leaders and represenatives.

Washington is full of crooks and criminals we as a nation put into office and allow to remain there-

We the people of the nation are first and foremost the problem. The only thing "government" does to us is that which we openly and freely tolerate.
 

frizzlefry

Registered User
Jan 8, 2013
573
0
0
I'd like to know how in Gods name these shippers are supposed to know the contents of the packages. And let's say that they did open every package which they could never do. So they open a package and there's prescription medication in it. How the hell could they possibly determine whether the script or the meds were legit?? It's not their job to do this. I like how the focus is on the shipper, rather than the pharmacy. There has to be more to this story, it makes no sense.
 

Enigmatic707

AnaSCI VET
Feb 7, 2013
2,752
0
36
I don't know how much of this story is even true to begin with to be honest. I'm sure it's basically straight, but a lot of aspects of this story don't add up.
 

FordFan

Registered User
Nov 12, 2012
988
0
16
Kudos to FedEx. It is not their job to differentiate between legal/illegal items.

Just another way government is trying to get someone do their job for them.
 

srd1

AnaSCI VET / Donating Member
Feb 19, 2013
2,311
0
36
midwest usa
Washington is full of crooks and criminals we as a nation put into office and allow to remain there-

We the people of the nation are first and foremost the problem. The only thing "government" does to us is that which we openly and freely tolerate.

Ill agree with that....whats sad is even if their not crooks and criminals going into washington give them six months and thats what they become...longer their in office the worse they get.

We vote someone in that we think is gonna make a change and once their in they become just as crooked as the one we voted out somethings gotta eventually give cause our country is being destroyed.:sniper:
 

chicken_hawk

AnaSCI VIP
Feb 2, 2013
1,634
0
0
Why doesn't the freagin DEA take all that damn money and target meth labs and heroin dealers. WTF :banghead:

Hawk
 

Enigmatic707

AnaSCI VET
Feb 7, 2013
2,752
0
36
After anasci posted this I looked around the web for information- this is a total power play.

There were no violation or compliancy issues noted by the DEA or any other government agency... No infractions had taken place at all. The only thing that the DEA had on UPS is that employees of UPS had been documented saying that they knew that UPS had been making deliveries for pharmacies that had a reputation for operating outsides the guidelines set forth by the DEA and FDA.

They willing gave up the 40 million just to end the investigation even though no charges had ever been filed against them- it sounds more like a buy off than a "fine"
 

*Bio*

Super Moderator
Oct 30, 2012
2,454
5
38
Why in the world would they agree to forfeit $40 million dollars? Sounds like the DEA is doing something quite unethical to get these companies to comply!
 

BEASTZ6

Registered User
Jan 31, 2013
62
0
0
I don't hear anything about the Feds going after the United States Postal Service. If it fits it ships....lol
 

allbeef

AnaSCI VIP
Nov 5, 2012
147
0
0
Love the pharm grade elitists that think any legitamite pharmacy can ever meet the underground markets needs. They cant, the controls are in place to identify them and shut them down. The paper trail is immense and the customer information is handed to the feds.

Thank God USPS is an animal that has not been tamed! Kinda like western union and moneygram, imagine wher we would be if we could not use aliases to send money or receive it with a question and answer in place of ID.

You want to seriously curtail the game, change that!

AB