Internet Companies Must Do More to Shut Down Illegal Opioid Sales: FDA

This week, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said large Internet companies must do more to prevent illegal online opioid sales, according to The Wall Street Journal.

At a summit meeting between industry leaders and government officials, Gottlieb said the easy availability of opioids online has become a major public health concern. The summit focused on sharing ways to tackle the problem of online opioid sales.

“As all of us here know well, illegal online pharmacies, drug dealers, and others are increasingly using the Internet to further their illicit distribution of opioids, where their risk of detection and the likelihood of repercussions are seen as significantly reduced,” Gottlieb said. “The adoption of a far more proactive approach to addressing this public health emergency by FDA and Internet stakeholders is not only critical, but it’s long overdue.”

In April, Gottlieb called on Internet service providers and social media companies to more carefully monitor online sales of opioids.