Dr Sarah Jarvis Online medicine
We keep hearing about the crisis in GP recruitment, and there’s no doubt that waiting times for doctor appointments are getting longer. So it may be tempting to head to the internet to buy medication. But if you’re not careful, you could be in for a nastyy – and ppossiblyy dangerous – surprise. It is possible to find reputable online pharmacies and doctor services, but you need to take precautions.
The first rule for internet medicines is, Ifsomething lookstoogoodtobetrue,it probablyis. Don’t ever be temptedp by emails offering “irrresistible” deals – thhey’re usually fake. Counterfeit (fake) mmedicines are very big bbusiness. There’s a huge innternational illegal inndustry behind them. CCriminals selling them ooften go to great lengths to ensure they look professional.
However, an investigation by the MHRA, which monitors drugs in the UK, revealed the vast majority of counterfeit medicines sold didn’t contain what they said. More worrying, the tablets were bulked out with all sorts of potentially dangerous ingredients.
If a website is illegal, it isn’t regulated. There are very strict regulations for any registered sites for good reason. The companies that run registered and regulated sites are inspected regularly, to make sure they operate to the highest safety standards. You wouldn’t buy medication from a dodgy stranger on a street corner, yet this is basically what you’re doing if the site isn’t regulated.
What’s more, if you pay for online medication with a credit or debit card, you could be handing over your financial details to a fraudster. They may be after much more than just the profit they would get from selling useless medicines.
It’s illegal to sell prescription medicines without a prescription or a PGD, which allows highly trained pharmacists to offer a limited range of prescription drugs under strict conditions.
Online, there are three safe ways to get medicines safely:
1 From an online doctor. Here you’ll have an online consultation with a doctor or complete a form which will be reviewed by the doctor. If they’re confident that a medicine is appropriate for you, and that it would be safe to give it to you, they can issue a prescription for medication which is usually posted to you.
‘‘ IF YOU NEED REGULAR MEDICATION URGENTLY, A PHARMACIST CAN ISSUE A YOU’’ SHORT COURSE, BUT MAY CHARGE
Do make certain the online doctor service asks detailed questions about your medical history, current medications and allergies – there are some dubious “doctor” services.
2 From a registered online pharmacy. To check if a pharmacy is legitimate, look for the green and white cross logo which reads “Click to verify if this website is operating legally”. This system is operated by the General Pharmaceutical Council, which monitors and regulates legitimate pharmacists. When you click on the logo, it should take you through to a page on the MHRA website, which lists that pharmacy and the medicines it’s allowed to sell.
3 Book online for a physical appointment with a community pharmacy. PATIENTACCESS.COM offers a wide selection of medications
available without a GP prescription – check the exclusions to see if the service is suitable for you, book an appointment direct from the app, and turn up for a pharmacist consultation to get your medicine. This can be useful for medicines not available on the NHS (from travel precautions to treatment for unwanted facial hair or male hair loss). You can’t get these from your GP, and this service lets you know which pharmacists provide them.
Some registered online pharmacies also dispense medication prescribed by your doctor and post it to you. The prescription can be posted to them, or you can ask your GP to send it electronically through the Electronic Prescribing Service.
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