Wrong prescription for online doctors.

• Author: Maley, Frank
• Position: Tar Heel Tattler - VirtualMedicalGroup.com - Brief Article

If VirtualMedicalGroup.com had stuck to treating impotence, menstrual cramps and unwanted facial hair, the Morrisville-based online medical practice might have avoided the attention of regulators. But pursuing what seemed like a sure moneymaker put its doctors in the cross hairs of the N.C. Medical Board.

After anthrax spores started showing up in the mail, the company put out a press release saying its physicians would prescribe the antibiotic Cipro over the Internet. Less than a month later, the board accused three of them of prescribing drugs to patients they hadn't examined. The doctors could lose their North Carolina licenses. All three live out of state, but disciplinary actions here could trigger hearings in other states where they're licensed.

The board says the prescriptions were based solely on patients' answers to an questionnaire posted at VirtualMedicalGroup.com. The company charges fees for online consultations -- typically $49 for the first one and $35 for a follow-up. An affiliate, 1stonlinepharmacy.com, fills many of...