Dangers of buying prescription medicines online

It is illegal to sell prescription medicines online in Ireland - and buying them is dangerous. On this page, we explain why.

Prescription medicines are drugs that must be prescribed by a health professional such as a doctor or dentist. You normally get them from a pharmacy. All prescription medicines available in Ireland are tested and licensed by the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA).

What are the risks of buying prescription medicines online?

Buying online might seem like a handy option, but there is no way to know if online prescription medicines are safe or if they will work properly. They could be fake or ineffective - or even cause you serious harm.

At best, you could be wasting your money. At worst, these medicines could seriously damage your health.

Here are some of the risks of buying prescription medicines online.

Medicines may not be approved for human use

The HPRA does not regulate prescription medicines that you buy online. This means we don't know if an online medicine has been through the proper tests or if it's suitable for human use.

Some medicines bought online have been found to contain toxic substances that are dangerous. Although the medicine may look the same as the type supplied by your pharmacy, there is no guarantee that it is genuine or safe.

Ingredients of medicines may be fake, ineffective or harmful

The active ingredient in a medicine is what makes it work. A medicine bought online may contain no active ingredient at all. Or it may contain too much or too little of an active ingredient, or the wrong ingredients altogether.

If it doesn't contain the right amount of an active ingredient, it could be useless in treating your condition.

Also, because the medicine hasn't been tested, you can't be certain what ingredients are in it. This means it could interact with other medicine you're taking - and cause unsafe or unpleasant side-effects.

Medicines may have incorrect packaging and information

When you're buying a medicine online, there is no way of knowing where it was made or what quality and safety standards the manufacturer used. The medicine may not have been packaged, labelled or stored correctly - and it could be out of date.

In addition, the package or label may not include any information for patients, such as how to take the medicine, or may give information that is simply wrong.

Risk of fraud and identity theft

Many internet sites that supply medicines hide their true identity and location to deceive people. They are often run by criminals. This means that when you give your personal details, you are at risk of credit card fraud and identity theft.

Where is the best place to buy medicines?

Prescription medicines

You should only buy prescription medicines from a registered source, such as your local pharmacy.

In Ireland, pharmacies are registered and regulated by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) only. When you buy from these pharmacies, you know that your medicine has been authorised and that its safety and quality is being monitored by the HPRA.

Only doctors, dentists and certain nurses can give you a prescription. You should only take prescription medicines under the care and supervision of a healthcare professional.

Buying non-prescription medicines online

Pharmacies and other retailers in Ireland can sell non-prescription medicines on their websites. These are medicines that do not require a prescription. One example is paracetamol products for pain relief.

A pharmacist or other supplier who wants to sell non-prescription medicines over the internet in Ireland must register with the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland and be added to its Internet Supply List. You can check the list on the PSI website.

The supplier must also display the 'EU common logo' on their website. Checking the logo can give you confidence that the medicines are safe and the supplier is registered in Ireland. If they are not a registered supplier, there is no way of knowing if the medicines are safe or effective.

Why has my medicine been detained by Customs?

In Ireland, it is against the law to supply prescription medicines online. Manufacturing fake or counterfeit medicines - known as falsified medicines - is also a criminal offence.

Illegal prescription medicines that are discovered coming into the country are detained (seized) by customs officials and may be destroyed. Website operators trying to sell such medicines can face prosecution and have their websites closed down.

If you have bought prescription medicines online and they are detained by Customs, we will write to tell you what has happened. We will also send you a leaflet on the dangers of buying prescription medicines online.

If your medicine has been detained, we cannot send it to you or return it to the supplier. It is an illegal product and it may be destroyed.

Where can I get advice when buying medicines?

It is always best to get advice from a healthcare professional (doctor, nurse, pharmacist or dentist) about any concerns or symptoms you may have.

Otherwise, you may not get a proper diagnosis of your problem, and you could end up buying the wrong medicine for your condition. Don't put yourself at risk..

How to report illegal prescription medicines

IIf you suspect someone is making or selling illegal prescription medicines, please contact us. You can:

• Phone us on 01 634 3871 or 01 634 3434, or
• Send a message via our online contact form (on the drop-down menu, select 'Other' and then 'Report an illegal activity')

We welcome any information that can help us to keep you safe by stopping medicines coming into the country illegally.