PharmacistsInternet pharmacies

Look out for this logo

Buying medicines online

It is estimated that a third of all medication bought online is counterfeit. For this reason, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society has accredited bona fide internet pharmacies and given them a logo to display (pictured).

To find out how well online pharmacies worked, we visited four – Asset Chemist, Chemist Direct, PCP Direct and Pharmacy 2 U – and tried to buy Imigran Recovery. We also tried to buy 160 Solpadeine Plus painkillers – selling more than 100 without a doctor’s prescription is illegal.

Imigran Recovery

For Imigran Recovery, we should have been asked questions about our general health and to check we had migraines. Chemist Direct and Pharmacy 2 U questioned us satisfactorily, but Chemist Direct then phoned and told us that a pharmacist cannot sell the medication without a doctor first diagnosing migraine – this is incorrect.

PCP Direct and Asset Chemist asked questions about our health, but did not ask us questions to determine whether we had migraines. Although this is not unsafe, it could mean us buying unsuitable medication and possibly missing diagnosis of a more serious condition.

Asset Chemist sold us an illegal number of Solpadeine tablets

Solpadeine Plus

We were shocked that Asset Chemist sold us an illegal 160 paracetamol-based painkillers, and will co-operate with a Royal Pharmaceutical Society investigation. The other pharmacies sold us between 32 and 64 tablets.

Price and convenience

When we compared online prices with high-street ones, we found that internet prices could be slightly cheaper – Chemist Direct charged the lowest price of £0.11 per Solpadeine Plus tablet, whereas Tesco and Boots charged £0.16 per tablet. However, all the online pharmacies we tested charged delivery costs on smaller orders, so the difference was minimal.

Buying drugs online safely

If you are buying online, consider the following:

• Use a UK website that is registered with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and displays the logo online. The logo clicks through to the RPS’s website, so you can check it’s legitimate.
• Check that there is a ‘bricks and mortar’ pharmacy behind the website in case of problems.
• Avoid websites that offer to sell prescription-only medicines without a prescription.
• Make sure you’re asked questions before buying drugs online.
• Don’t be tempted to buy large amounts of medication without considering expiry dates.

To find out more about over-the-counter weight-loss supplements, see our guide to slimming pills and diet foods.