When medicine sells out - 7 Jul 2008

There are two items in today's newsletter that particular caught my eye. The first is a call for an end to selling organs for transplant and to the transplant tourism industry that has built up around this practice. The film Dirty, pretty things was a hard look at the practice of enticing poor people into 'selling' an organ in exchange for something - in this case documents to get them into the UK. This iniquitous practice is common - and is supported by those with money, who shamelessly pay for an organ, probably knowing full well that someone has suffered in donating it. Yes, it is difficult to know that you are dying for want of a transplanted organ - but surely you would like to sleep comfortably at night with your new found health.

The other item is on the problems of buying drugs online. This is an ongoing issue, which has taxed the minds of health professionals around the world. It is illegal in most countries - our own included - and is frankly dangerous because people are able to get hold of scheduled medication without a prescription and so no medical monitoring of their use of what can be dangerous drugs. And on top of all that, most of these drugs are fake - so will not even do what they are supposed to - which could be life threatening in some instances.

What is particularly unpleasant about both transplant tourism and selling fake drugs online is that there must be qualified professionals involved. These people certainly do not deserve to sleep at night.