Internet Pharmacies: Canada's Transnational Organized Crime

Health Law in Canada 34(4):93-120, August 2014

28 Pages Posted: 18 Mar 2016

See all articles by Amir Attaran

Amir Attaran

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section; University of Ottawa - Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine

Reed Beall

University of Ottawa, Institute of Population Health, Students

Date Written: August 1, 2014

Abstract

Advertising or selling foreign-sourced medicines that are not approved by Health Canada is a criminal act in Canada. Yet, in the last decade, unscrupulous “Internet pharmacies” — some of which are just call centers and not truly pharmacies at all — located on Canadian soil have built a wildly successful industry on that criminal transaction, pitching unapproved medicines from developing countries such as India to patients and doctors in the United States. While the United States has, at times, prosecuted the Canadians responsible for this criminal cross-border trade — dealing in unapproved medicines violates American law too — no one has been prosecuted in Canada.

Suggested Citation

Attaran, Amir and Attaran, Amir and Beall, Reed, Internet Pharmacies: Canada's Transnational Organized Crime (August 1, 2014). Health Law in Canada 34(4):93-120, August 2014, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2748199

Amir Attaran (Contact Author)

University of Ottawa - Common Law Section ( email )

57 Louis Pasteur Street
Ottawa, K1N 6N5
Canada
613-562-5800 ext: 2015 (Phone)
613-562-5659 (Fax)

University of Ottawa - Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine ( email )

451 Smyth Road
Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8M5
Canada

Reed Beall

University of Ottawa, Institute of Population Health, Students ( email )

Ottawa, Ontario
Canada

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