Online pharmacy warning
December 4, 2015
PHARMACY Board of Australia
chairman Bill Kelly has urged health
consumers to be vigilant of online
pharmacies, with the Board viewing
the “indirect supply of medicines,
such as internet and mail-order
dispensing, as less than the optimal
way of delivering a pharmacy
service”.
Writing in the Dec issue of
NPS MedicineWise’s Australian
Prescriber, Kelly particularly
highlighted non-Australian
pharmacy websites which offer
“little in the way of reassurance”
that procedures are followed.
“Overseas online pharmacies
appear not to offer the same level
of personal contact that is required
of Australian pharmacies, whether
by standards or guidelines,” he said.
Risks to consumers from non compliant
online pharmacies
include fake or adulterated
products, inappropriate supply
of narcotics and other controlled
substances, lack of supervision
by a doctor or pharmacist, and
unlicensed premises and staff.
Kelly highlighted a recent UK
study of 113 online pharmacies
which found fewer than 25% were
regulated and 80 were willing to
sell prescription medicines without
a script.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 04 Dec 15To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 04 Dec 15
