Buying prescription drugs online can seriously damage your health and in some instances lead to death.
Pharmacy is a safe-sounding word. It conjures up images of highly-qualified professionals knowledgeably dispensing medications from pristine premises, for the common good. Fake internet pharmacies cash in on the trusted reputation of their high-street counterparts.
Of the estimated 40,000 active online pharmacies worldwide, some are legal, above board and managed by well-known corporate brands, but most are bogus and run by criminal gangs, with not a pharmacist among them.
The ease with which an online pharmacy can be established, was demonstrated in September last year by medical researchers from the University of California, who created a fake pharmacy in 15 minutes, at a cost of less than $80 (€62).
According to the World Health Organisation’s 2011 report, Safety and Security on the Internet, nearly every major category of prescription drug is available online without a prescription.
The Irish Medicines Board urges caution. “There can be no guarantees that medicines bought online are effective, safe or of an acceptable standard or quality,” says a spokesperson.
Source: Rita de Brun, Irish Examiner, 24/03/2013
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