Online Meds – The Web of Deceit
Buying medication online is often seen as an illicit activity but choose the right service and prescription drugs can be sourced ethically, safely and conveniently.
But with current figures estimating that over 90% of drugs sold over the internet are fake, how do you spot a legitimate service amongst the drugstore cowboys?
At the end of 2008 pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, conducted a study called ‘Cracking Counterfeit’, not only did this highlight the risk consumers, especially men, were taking by purchasing counterfeit medicines, it also revealed that one in ten men admitted to purchasing prescription-only medicines online without a prescription.
According to the RPSGB (the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) lack of consumer awareness about online regulations is a huge problem with a third of people not knowing what to look for.
This is a sentiment echoed by many legitimate online medical service providers. Robert MacKay from The Online Clinic explained ‘Buying medication online is extremely discrete and convenient but it is very important that people make sure that they are dealing with a legitimate healthcare provider and not some criminal gang hiding behind a well designed website.
'All organizations in England and Wales that provide prescriptions are required to be registered with the Care Quality Commission so that is a good place to start; if the service is not registered then you are not dealing with a legitimate supplier.
'In addition, all pharmacies are required to be registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. If the supplier is able to demonstrate these two qualifications then you will be in safe hands.'
To this end, The Online Clinic is working to ensure that consumers are much better informed and has created a checklist of things to look for when selecting an online healthcare provider:
1) All clinics must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. You can check the registration through the Care Quality Commission website at www.cqc.org.uk
2) All pharmacies must be registered with the RPSGB. If the website is legitimate then they will tell you the name and registration number of the pharmacy so that it can be checked with the RPSGB at http://www.rpsgblist.org/premises.asp
3) Make sure the website can provide you with an address and a phone number - call the number and check you are purchasing from a UK supplier. It isn’t necessarily illegal to buy medication abroad but it is much safer to choose a supplier within the UK so that you can check their credentials with the regulators
4) Websites that offer to supply prescription-only medicines without a prescription are to be avoided. Not only is this illegal it is also unsafe and customers are highly unlikely to be supplied with a genuine product
5) No legitimate website will allow customers to purchase medicines without a consultation with a registered doctor. This can usually be done online and ethical practioners will refer patients for an in-person appointment if they suspect a fuller consultation is needed. General Medical Council rules state that an online doctor registered with them must disclose their details to the patient
6)A clinic or pharmacy that obeys the law will not advertise prices until a consultation with a medical professional has been carried out. To do otherwise contravenes regulations laid down by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency, which regulates the sale and supply of medications in the UK
In a world where counterfeit medicines now look so authentic that often only a laboratory can detect if they are genuine, consumers are strongly advised to shop with caution.
Mackay concluded ‘People tend to take their health for granted and assume that prescription ‘lifestyle’ drugs such as Viagra are simply recreational. They aren’t.
Taking any drug needs to be a well considered choice rather than a quick-fix peddled by someone who is not interested in the wellbeing of the customer’
Tagged in Health