A Do No Harm report released Tuesday found that some online pharmacies appear not to require prescriptions or age verification for individuals seeking transgender hormones. The report, first obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation, also identified websites promoting online pharmacies and guides for self-administering “homebrewed” transgender hormones.
Online Pharmacy Oversight Concerns
Kurt Miceli, chief medical officer at Do No Harm, stated that the report “reveals how online pharmacies may enable minors to obtain cross-sex hormones with alarming ease.” He noted that the organization discovered “a multitude of troubling pathways that appear to bypass basic safeguards and regulatory oversight,” and called for FDA and federal agency investigation of potential unlawful sellers.
Several websites were identified in the report as listing online hormone vendors. Transgender Map, which aims to teach people “how to make a gender transition,” lists online pharmacies across multiple continents and includes a guide titled “how to get hormones as a transgender minor.” According to the report, the site acknowledges that “getting hormones without a prescription is against the law” while still directing users to resources for ordering hormones online. Transgender Map was created by Andrea James, a transgender filmmaker and consumer activist.
DIYHRT.market and other sites including HRT.Coffee and HRT Cafe list pharmacies and vendors that allegedly bypass age restrictions or prescription requirements. MedsMex, an online pharmacy based in Mexico that ships to the U.S., states on its FAQ page: “No prescription to purchase any medicines in our pharmacy.” Inhouse Pharmacy, based in Vanuatu, says it is “permitted” to process orders without prescriptions, according to the report.
Key Limitations
However, Do No Harm acknowledged that while “many of these pharmacies do not appear to require a prescription or verification of a customer’s age at any point before prompting the customer to submit payment information,” the organization was unable to “confirm that all of the listed pharmacies lack prescription or age verification requirements.” The report notes that some pharmacies may require prescription information after payment is submitted.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://ijr.com/exclusive-online-pharmacies-may-be-allowing-minors-to-get-transgender-hormones-with-alarming-ease/