Christopher Smith of Minneapolis, MN, made a fortune through his online pharmacy Xpress Pharmacy Direct, but tomorrow Smith and three co-defendants will be brought to trial on charges that the pharmacy did little more than provide a conduit for prescription drug addicts to obtain controlled substances. Prosecutors also claim that in order to cover his tracks, Smith tried to make arrangements for a witness in the case to be killed. And if that wasn’t bad enough, after Smith was arraigned on the charges earlier this year he fled the country and tried to set up shop elsewhere.

Online pharmacies are legal, but a doctor must review the prescriptions to make sure they’re safe for patients. Dr. Philip Mach--the only physician who worked for Xpress Pharmacy Direct--approved 99 percent of the 72,000 prescriptions he reviewed for the pharmacy. Several weeks back he pled guilty to conspiracy and unlawful distribution. Mach will likely testify against Smith at his upcoming trial.

The abuse of prescription drugs is a growing problem: According to a report from the National Institute of Drug Abuse estimated 48 million people over the age of 12 have abused prescription drugs. Though there are many legitimate online pharmacies, operations like Xpress Pharmacy Direct make it easy for drug addicts to obtain substances that are illegal for them to use. Officials say greater regulation of online pharmacies is necessary to prevent this from happening.

For more on the case
- see this report from the Star Tribune