HEALTH MATTERS 25 online medicine
ALWAYS GET EXPERT ADVICE While the internet is a readily available research tool when it comes to health, not all of the information sourced from the internet is reputable or indeed reliable. Our advice is to always talk to a GP or pharmacist about health concerns. A healthcare professional, who is likely to be familiar with the person’s medical history, is best placed to advise on what treatment or medication an individual may need. Our research results show that this is happening in the majority of cases and that GPs and pharmacists continue to enjoy huge levels of trust among patients. In particular, medicines that require a
prescription should only be used under the supervision of a doctor. Someone who buys prescription medicine without having seen their doctor may not have a proper diagnosis of their health problem. As a result, a serious health condition may go unidentified and untreated. It may even be mistreated.
BUY SAFE, APPROVED AND EFFECTIVE MEDICINES We urge consumers to never purchase medicines online and to only buy from a trusted source. Prescription medicines for example, which must be first authorised by the ImB, can only be sold through approved retail pharmacies regulated by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. That will not be the case for medicines bought online. The internet is an unregulated source with no guarantees of ingredients, safety, effectiveness or quality of products.
THE DANGERS TO HEALTH
The ImB strongly recommends that consumers never purchase medicines, and in particular prescription medicines, over the internet. The following are just some of the many reasons why we advise against this purchase: • Even where a medicine has been prescribed by a doctor, sourcing that product over the internet means there is no guarantee that it is effective or genuine. As a result, the medical condition may go untreated.
• There is no way of knowing if the product received has been tested and approved for human use. What is sent to the consumer may not even be the medicine that was advertised on the website.
• There is no way of knowing, with any certainty, how or where the product was manufactured. Because of this, there is no way of knowing if the manufacturer operates to acceptable standards. • The medicine may not have been packaged, labelled or stored correctly
SUPPLYING PRESCRIPTION MEDICINES ONLINE IS ILLEGAL In Ireland, supply of prescription medicines through the internet is against the law and no online pharmacy is authorised to operate in this country. Illegal and counterfeit medicines seized by the Revenue Commissioners’ Customs Service are destroyed. Our enforcement staff work closely with customs officials to prevent the illegal supply of mail order medicines. This co-operation has led to the seizure of many individual packets of medicines and has resulted in a number of prosecutions and other actions involving website operators. Many of these operators have tried to conceal their true identity.
CONTACT THE IMB The ImB welcomes any information that can help us reduce the threat posed to public health from the illegal importation of medicines. We continually monitor and investigate such activities and encourage
and could be out-of-date. It might also include incorrect patient information • The active ingredient in a medicine is what makes it work. A medicine bought online may contain no active ingredient, too much or too little of an active ingredient, or the wrong ingredients altogether. It could simply be useless in treating the medical complaint. At best, it may be a waste of money. At worst, it could cause serious harm. • The product received could be a counterfeit or fake. The packaging, labelling and colouring of some counterfeit medicines have been found to be almost the same as genuine medicines.
• Some medicines purchased online have been found to contain dangerous toxic substances. • As there is no certainty about the ingredients used to make the medicine, consumers can’t be sure if it is safe to use alongside medicines they may already be taking.
those in the health sector and the public to contact us if they have any suspicions.
IMB ENFORCEMENT SECTION Phone: (01) 634 3436 Email:
enforcement@imb.ie
THE DANGERS OF BUYING ONLINE – INFORMATION LEAFLET
This is one in a series of leaflets published recently by the ImB providing important advice on medicine safety. The leaflets aim to provide clear independent advice on how best to purchase, care for and safely use medicines. They are freely available to download from
www.imb.ie, while printed copies can be requested by calling (01) 676 4971.
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