It has been 11 years since we first reported on rogue pharmacies, unlicensed online drugstores that peddled medications without a proper prescription or physical exam. Back then we were able to purchase dangerous diet drugs and pills to improve sexual performance simply by charging them to a credit card.

Fast forward to 2010. Despite tough talk by government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and Justice Department, which promised a crackdown, the bad guys are still in business. And thriving. In fact, we recently found drugs, all available without consulting a doctor, that were potentially even more lethal than the ones we previously encountered, including a litany of powerful narcotic pain killers, drugs to treat convulsive disorders like epilepsy, meds for ADHD, and supposed generic versions of big-name drugs such as Avodart, Crestor, Cymbalta, and Nexium, though no such generics for those brand-name drugs have been approved in the U.S.

In some instances, the sources would seem reputable and safe enough, from friendly pharmacies in neighboring Canada. With a little digging, however, we found the real source, places like India and other countries in Asia. Regardless of the source, the dangers of buying from unregulated pharmacies are many—including the possibility that the drugs are counterfeit, contaminated, or otherwise unsafe.

In an effort to rid such sites from its pages, Google recently filed a federal civil suit against advertisers who deliberately violate company advertising policy.