Online pharmacies work very similarly to regular high street pharmacies. They are registered and licensed to provide medicines to people with prescriptions – if you do not have a prescription you cannot access the medicines as this is against the law, so it isn’t like an online marketplace. They work in much the same way as regular pharmacies but have some key differences. Here is what you should know before using an online pharmacy.
Online pharmacies can offer consultations like regular pharmacies, in a more private and on-demand setting, and prescribe appropriate medicines following the consultation. Do not expect them to prescribe more medicine or stronger medicine than a regular pharmacy. They work in the same way with experts that are similarly qualified and are often checked more stringently than regular pharmacies. Governing bodies make regular checkups to ensure they are prescribing in a way that is safe and appropriate.
It is possible to acquire medicine from some unregulated online websites, but this is an extremely dangerous practice that should be avoided. You can’t be sure that what you are ordering is what will arrive, and there is no guarantee that these medicines will do what they say they will – you could be buying sawdust or even concrete disguised as pills. Furthermore, you can’t be certain if they have been properly tested and approved and could end up seriously harming yourself by consuming any medicines bought through these unlicensed sites.
Licensed pharmacies must comply with the Falsified Medicines Directive, whereby all licensed medicines produced are given a barcode during production that the pharmacist scans out when handing pharmaceuticals over to patients, meaning licensed pharmacies can be sure of the legitimacy of their products. Unlicensed pharmacies do not have to adhere to this, so while unregulated sites that allow you to choose your prescription may seem wonderfully quick and easy; the risks massively outweigh any benefits.
A licenced UK pharmacy can only sell medications approved by The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA oversees the quality and safety of medicines in the UK; ensuring pharmacies only sell approved pharmaceutical products. Approved products are listed on the MHRA’s website, so it is good to double-check a product is listed on there before purchasing it through an online pharmacy, for example, to buy t3 liothyronine sodium UK.
To check the legitimacy of an online pharmacy, you can see if it is registered with the necessary regulatory bodies. All doctors licensed to prescribe medications are listed on the GMC register, and all licenced pharmacists will appear on the General Pharmaceutical Council register. The logos for these two regulatory bodies should appear on the websites of licensed online pharmacists, usually at the bottom of the page.
You can order monthly prescriptions through many online pharmacies as a quick and convenient way to acquire medicine. It is worth noting online pharmacies must comply with the Data Protection Act and the General Data Protection Act, meaning they will only keep information on you that they strictly need.
