FDA warns against on-line drug purchases

The FDA has issued a warning about the potential dangers of buying prescription medications on-line. According to the FDA, individuals who ordered Ambien (zolpidem, Sanofi-Aventis), Xanax (alprazolam), Lexapro (escitalopram, Forest), and Ativan (lorazepam) over the Internet received a product that instead contained haloperidol. The FDA did not specify which Web sites were involved or whether the medications came from outside the United States. According to the FDA warning, some consumers complained of difficulty in breathing, muscle spasms, and muscle stiffness after ingesting the medication and had to seek emergency treatment. The FDA also urged consumers to review its Web site (