The Rise of Telehealth 'Pill Mills'
As people become accustomed to getting prescriptions online, sites are flourishing without much medical oversight.
The elderly patient's blood pressure had been dropping for weeks, and his primary care provider, Chad Wittekind, couldn't figure out why. After increasing one medication and adding another, Wittekind was stumped by the patient's lack of cooperation. The patient hadn't reported taking any new medications or supplements, nor had they undergone any significant lifestyle changes.
The mystery was solved when Wittekind discovered that the patient had obtained the drug through a telehealth website, bypassing his primary care provider. The patient, like many others, felt too embarrassed to disclose this new addition to their regimen. Wittekind, a geriatrics provider based in Columbus, Ohio, is witnessing a growing trend of patients turning to the internet for medications related to erectile dysfunction, weight, menopause, and depression.
The accessibility and ease of obtaining drugs from these websites have made them increasingly popular among Americans of all ages and income levels. Patients visit these sites after viewing ads on social media, and they can order medication with minimal screening. While telehealth has improved access to medical care, it has also led to concerns about the lack of oversight and accountability.
Some patients receive inappropriate medications, such as ketamine tablets for a patient with a low body mass index, or they experience side effects without proper follow-up from the virtual doctors who prescribed them. The proliferation of telehealth sites has been driven by entrepreneurs who create websites and market their services, often with minimal regulation.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
