Two Winnipeg-based Internet are being accused by Manitoba's pharmacy regulator of misconduct for knowingly filling prescriptions for U.S. customers who were not examined by Canadian doctors. Horst Wuerfel, pharmacy manager for Rivercity Meds and Adelaine Saria of Winnipeg-based CanAmerica Drugs are being held on charges of violating the Manitoba International Pharmacy Association's code of ethics. Saria is also being accused of paying a Manitoba doctor to countersign U.S. prescriptions.

Pharmacists in Manitoba need a Canadian doctor to sign off on a prescription sent by a U.S. physician. Most licensing bodies for physicians in Canada bar doctors from signing prescriptions for patients they haven't seen.

Some Internet pharmacies are known to regularly pay Canadian doctors a commission to co-sign U.S. prescriptions, but rarely are they prosecuted. Last year, a Manitoba doctor was fined $10,000 for co-signing over 9,000 such prescriptions. Regulators are concerned that Canadian doctors miss problems with an original U.S. prescriptions, such as interaction with other medications.

The penalty varies from a simple fine to expulsion from the association. Both Saria and Wuerfel plan to plead not guilty.