Direct Sale of Sildenafil (Viagra) to Consumers over the Internet

In May 1999, Dr. Leandro Pasos, an orthopedic surgeon, was accused of unprofessional conduct by the Washington State Health Department for prescribing sildenafil (Viagra) over the Internet to patients he had neither seen nor examined.1,2 This case was one of the first to highlight changes in medical practice resulting from the expanding use of the Internet.35 Although the Internet may improve patients' access to medical information and other medical services, some Internet-based services, such as those involving the direct sale of medications, bypass protections normally associated with conventional medical practices.The availability of prescription medicines over the Internet . . .