The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) endorsement of easier online access of restrictive medications such as anabolic steroids and other scheduled drugs raised some criticisms from several sectors.

A Wall Street Journal article identifies those at the receiving (and quite) lucrative end. These are the same companies that lobbied or supported the proposal; and, thus, it invites the question “Quid pro quo?”

“The merger of RxHub and SureScripts unites what are otherwise fierce competitors to a common goal. RxHub is backed by pharmacy benefits managers, or PBMs, which administer prescription drug benefits for employers and health plans, and typically dispense drugs through mail-order pharmacies, the direct competitors of the retail outlets, such as Walgreen Co. and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., represented by SureScripts. Wieland, a senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, says both parties stand to gain financially. Enabling physicians to prescribe based on the drugs covered under a patient’s health plan will help to drive formulary compliance, important to PBMs and insurers, while pharmacies can save time and money through fewer calls to physicians’ offices, he says.”

DEA is quick to defend its proposal, saying the rationale behind such controversial proposal is not motivated by financial considerations but solely by the need to monitor diversion of controlled drugs like steroids for non-medical purposes.

Many ask if this proposal, which would allow physicians to digitally prescribe steroids and other drugs to patients, could make the leeway wider for the abuse of these drugs.

It would not, answers the DEA.

According to DEA, it would actually help the agency in curtailing the non-medical use of these drugs. The agency says that on DEA registrants are permitted to dispense electronic prescriptions – i.e. sign and authorize controlled substance prescriptions. The systems will also ensure that the prescription record cannot be tampered with, or if any tampering or alteration is done it can be detected.

The DEA is the federal government’s arm in enforcing controlled substance laws and regulations in the US. One of its important functions is bringing to justice key members of organizations that contribute to trafficking of steroids and other illicit drugs, both in the domestic and international markets.

In September 25, 2007, DEA carried out what was considered to be the most massive steroid investigation in US history. Dubbed as Operation: Raw Deal, the investigation In total, 11.4 million steroid dosage units were seized, as well as 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder from China.

Tags: DEA, online prescription, Operation Raw Deal, rx hub, steroids, surescripts, wall street journal

Posted in buy steroids, steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids, Steroids in Sports

Two men have meted out sentencing due to illegal sale of anabolic steroids in the state of Philadelphia on May 20.

Thomas Keightly, 26, of Quentin, Lebanon County pleaded guilty for conspiracy to manufacture, possess, and distribute steroids. He faces eight months in federal prison. He was accused of shipping around 20,000 and 40,000 doses of steroids between the periods of 2005 to 2007.

The other defendant was James Hornback, 35, of Louisville, Ky., who also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute steroids. He was placed under probation for three years and fined S2, 000. Hornback will spend the first six months of the probation period in home confinement.

Although the two men have never met, they were both connected with Christopher “Moot” Van Horn of Kansas City, Mo. Van Horn is reportedly the head of a steroids distribution ring. According to prosecutors, Van Horn manufactured and sold anabolic steroids from a lab inside his home. Van Horn was also indicted September last year and is now facing federal charges in Scranton.

Keightly and Hornback were sentenced in separate proceedings by Judge Thomas I. Vanaskie. According to Times-Tribune, their arrests were the result of a two-year probe by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and several other federal agencies named as “Operation Raw Deal.” DEA considered the sting as the “largest steroid enforcement action in U.S. history.”

On its website, DEA states that through the operation “143 federal search warrants were executed on targets nationwide, resulting in 124 arrests and the seizure of 56 steroid labs across the United States. In total, 11.4 million steroid dosage units were seized, as well as 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder of Chinese origin. As part of Operation Raw Deal, $6.5 million was also seized, as well as 25 vehicles, 3 boats, 27 pill presses, and 71 weapons.”

Tags: anabolic steroids, Christopher “Moot” Van Horn, DEA, Operation Raw Deal

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids

Operation Raw deal happened last year and was supposed to take the steroid industry to it’s knees. Well, that’s not the case. Because of operation raw deal, all the steroid busts in the USA have led to a decreased domestic supply of steroids and increased foreign supply from – you guessed it – Iran and eastern europe (like Moldova and Romania). So, since USA government is not going to Iran or Moldova, what was the result of the operation raw deal? in reality, it just increased foreign steroid supplies from rouge countries. The smart thing to do would be to make steroids legal in USA and require a blood test, and prescription, so the government can tax steroids. Just like prostitution, making it illegal wont solve the problem. The below is the result of Operation Raw Deal, the largest bust of anabolic steroids in history of USA:

“Operation Raw Deal.” …. the sting has netted more than 11.4 million doses of steroids, along with 242 kilograms of raw steroid powder from China, $6.5 million in cash, 25 vehicles, three boats, 27 pill presses and 71 weapons

Let’s go over what operation raw deal brought in, in terms of the steroid market vs. other drug busts. 11.4million doses of steroids, sounds like a lot right, ok let’s do the math. Since USA government considers 1 pill = 1 dose, we take the 11,400,00 and divide that by 5 since, for example, dbol you need 5-7 tabs for 1 dose (5mgs dbol tabs). This will make it, 2,280,000 doses. Now since an average steroid cycle is 12 weeks (or 84 days) for 1 bodybuilder, that means you need 84 doses of 1 steroid, so if you do a steroid cycle (stack) of just 3 steroids (Dianabol, testosterone, deca durabolin), you’d need 252 doses of steroids just for 12 weeks for 1 person! That means the whole bust would net steroid dosages for about 8,900 people, that’s right, 1 jug of steroid oil in bulk from Iran or Moldova or Romania would replace the WHOLE steroid supply busted in operation raw deal. Furthermore, the 242 KG of steroids only sounds a lot in numbers. If 1 bottle of deca durabolin is 250mgs/ml x 20ml vial, that means 1 KG of deca durabolin powder would make only about 200 bottles of deca durabolin, enough for 20 +/-  bodybuilders to run a steroid cycle. Steroids are very high MG yield products, they shouldn’t be treated like drugs. 242 KG of steroids is enough to supply about 1800-1900 bodybuilders, that’s not much!

This should give you a rough idea of the steroid industry and reality on some steroid busts. Some things are pumped up for the media, this is one of them.

Tags: anabolic steroid, anabolic steroids, Operation Raw Deal, steroid, steroid sting, steroids

Posted in steroid nation, Steroids and Anabolic Steroids