title: www.mydrugdealer.com: Ethics and legal implications of Internet-based access to substances of abuse.
abstract: The Internet has increasingly become an intrinsic part of everyday life, offering countless possibilities for education, services, recreation, and more. In fact, an entire virtual life within the digitalized World Wide Web is possible and common among many Internet users. Today's psychiatrists must therefore incorporate this dimension of human life into clinical practice, to achieve an adequate assessment of the tools and risks available to the patient. We focus on the Internet as a portal for the trade of and access to substances of abuse. We review the legal regulations that may inform care and standards of practice and analyze the difficulties that arise in assessment and monitoring of the current situation. We consider the potential impact of Internet-based narcotics trade on addiction morbidities and the practice of clinical psychiatry, as well as on the potential legal implications that the forensic expert may face.
authors: Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Department of Mental Health, Washington, DC, USA. carolina.klein@gmail.com
authors: Carolina A
authors: CA
authors: Klein
authors: Surendra
authors: S
authors: Kandel
mesh_terms: D003132:Commerce / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000941:ethics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs