Call for on-line pharmacy crack-down
Friday February 17th, 2017
On-line pharmacies may be helping to fuel antibiotic resistance by enabling patients to get drugs without prescription, according to a major analysis published today.
As many as 45% of pharmacies sold antibiotics without prescription, according to the study reported in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
The findings led to calls for new restrictions on on-line pharmacies.
The researchers also found that most pharmacies allowed customers to choose dosages and duration and choice of antibiotics. This even applied to many British companies that complied with prescription regulations.
The findings come from an analysis of 20 on-line sites identified as the most popular in search engines.
One senior GP described the findings as "very worrying."
The study found that 15 of the pharmacies provided no evidence of UK registrations - and only 30% asked buyers to complete a health questionnaire.
Researcher Dr Sara Boyd, from Imperial College, UK, said: “These findings are a real concern, and raise several important issues regarding antibiotic resistance and patient safety with online pharmacies."
She added: “The way patients interact with healthcare is constantly evolving, and shifts in consumer behaviour mean more people are purchasing their goods online.
"Our study paves the way for larger, more thorough research into this worrying new trend so that we can ensure patient safety and promote the responsible use of antibiotics in all areas of healthcare provision.”
The Royal Pharmaceutical Society called for tightened restrictions on on-line pharmacies.
President Martin Astbury said: "We cannot support access to antibiotics through a web form until the standards for prescribing by private providers reflect the standard of face to face consultations in the NHS.
"Those involved in supplying medicines online should ensure their processes are as robust as possible.”
Royal College of GPs chair Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard said: "This is against strict General Medical Council guidance on remote prescribing – and it undermines the hard work that GPs are doing to reduce antibiotics prescribing, which saw prescriptions reduce by 2.6m in general practice last year alone."
She added: “That this study has found this practice to be so widespread is extremely worrying, and it’s important that it has been highlighted, so that it can be tackled robustly in the best interests of our patients’ safety and global health in general."
Obtaining antibiotics online from within the UK: a cross-sectional study Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 17 February 2017 [abstract]
Tags: General Health | Pharmaceuticals | UK News
Printer friendly page