Lethal danger of purchasing prescription drugs online

Published on Friday 6 November 2009 21:45

SCOTS are risking their health by buying prescription medicines on the internet, campaigners have warned.

Research shows that 13 per cent of people in Scotland admitted to buying medication online without a prescription for themselves or someone else.

But many could be putting themselves at risk by buying fake drugs, which can include harmful ingredients such as rat poison and lead paint.

A new campaign – Get Real, Get a Prescription – has been launched to try to warn people of the dangers from buying drugs online which may be fakes.

In many cases, the medicines are made by people without the right qualifications and can include too much, too little, or none of the active ingredient.

Those behind the campaign said these counterfeit products could harm patients and may also lead to death.

Yesterday, the campaign's roadshow was in to Edinburgh, where a replica counterfeit medicine lab – including a cement mixer, harmful substances and unqualified workers – were displayed in Waverley station.

The organisations backing the initiative include drugs giant Pfizer, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB).

Dr Berkeley Phillips, medical director of Pfizer, said: "We believe people are blinkered to the very real dangers of counterfeit medicine, which is why we're launching a deliberately hard-hitting campaign to educate them.

"Not only are people putting themselves at risk by taking fake medicine, but they're forfeiting invaluable support from healthcare professionals, and missing out on important advice and care, which can leave underlying health problems undetected."

Research for the campaign found that 60 per cent of Scots thought they were more trusting about buying goods over the internet than they were five years ago.

Worryingly, the poll also found 16 per cent of people in Scotland believed counterfeiters were delivering a good service to the public by providing cheaper medications.

It is estimated that between 50 and 90 per cent of medicines now purchased over the internet were counterfeit.

The global sales in fake medicines are expected to reach $75 billion (45bn) next year.

As part of the new campaign, a hard-hitting TV ad is being aired and the message will also be spread on billboard posters.

The issue is also a major concern for doctors, who are often left to pick up the pieces when a patient suffers the consequences of using counterfeit medicines.

Research has found that two-thirds of GPs in the UK have seen patients who had obtained medicines from illicit sources.

A spokeswoman for the British Medical Association Scotland said: "The BMA has a number of concerns about buying prescription-only drugs on the internet.

"There is no way of verifying that the drug in question is appropriate for the applicant.

"We are also worried about people abusing drugs which could be very dangerous to their health – these drugs are prescription-only for a reason.

"They can have serious side-effects and a doctor's input is required to make sure they are appropriate for the individual in question."