New Minnesota law prohibits sham online consultations

Minneapolis, MN – As reported by Kare-11 in Minneapolis, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has signed Justin’s Bill into law.

The news, as Justin’s father Dan Pearson noted, is “bittersweet,” but it’s good news for parents and others concerned about Internet drug safety.

The bill is named after Dan’s son Justin, a 24-year-old St. Cloud man who died from an accidental prescription drug overdose on December 25, 2006, after ordering prescription drugs from a rogue Internet pharmacy.

According to the news article, Justin had become addicted to Vicodin after injuring his back during a four-wheeling accident. Eventually, he turned to a rogue Internet pharmacy to find the drugs, which were advertised through a spam email.

The new law will tighten up the definition of what constitutes a legal prescription in Minnesota by requiring that some face-to-face examination between the prescribing doctor and the patient have occurred at some point in the future.

Justin Pearson would have turned 26 this week.