Rise in purchase of medicines online

Published on 17/12/2012 00:00

Purchasing prescription medicines online without a prescription is on the increase, pharmacists said.

Three-quarters of pharmacists believe the activity has become more commonplace in recent years, according to a poll by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Almost half of 650 pharmacists surveyed said 
a customer had admitted buying medicine in this way.

Many thought people were opting to buy the medicines online to alleviate embarrassment, to access treatments quickly, or to self medicate. In the past five years, officials have seized more than £34 million worth of medicine supplied illegally.