Fake online pharmacies present a “growing and significant threat to patient safety”, driven by organised criminality and exploitation of consumer demand, a group of organisations, including the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy (APPG) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), has highlighted.
Participants in a roundtable discussion called for stronger action across the system to tackle illegal medicine sellers and prevent people being illegally sold counterfeit, unregulated and potentially dangerous medicines.
A report ‘Combating fake online pharmacies and unregulated medicines’, summarised a meeting convened by the General Pharmaceutical Council and chaired by Sadik Al-Hassan MP, Chair of the APPG.
Measures to tackle the problem should include action by search engines, such as Google and Bing, and social media platforms should also take stronger measures. More education is also needed for the public explaining the risks purchasing fake medicines online, the organisations said.
Al-Hassan warned that the wider availability of unregulated medicines was a “growing threat” to the public.
“Legitimate online pharmacies have transformed access to healthcare for many people and provide an important service. But there is a growing threat posed by criminal operators exploiting the online environment to sell dangerous and unregulated medicines.
“Tackling this issue must be treated as a public safety priority, and the Big Tech companies will need to play their part to remove harmful and illegal content. Public awareness of the risks of buying medicines from unregulated sources must also be at the heart of any long-term solution,” he said.
The report said that legitimate pharmacies are increasingly being impersonated, including cloned websites and with the misuse of GPhC registration numbers.
GPhC has recently launched a social media campaign highlighting the risks of fake online pharmacies and explaining how to buy medicines safely online. The MHRA’s #FakeMeds campaign was also highlighted as a useful initiative.
The problem is not a reflection on legitimate online pharmacy, the report stressed.
Gisela Abbam, Chair of the GPhC, said: "Legitimate online pharmacies provide a safe, convenient and valuable service for patients. But fake online pharmacies are exploiting the reach and anonymity of the digital environment to sell medicines that may be counterfeit, ineffective or unsafe. The harm caused can be serious, and in some cases life-threatening."
Stronger collaboration is needed across governments, regulators, healthcare organisations, technology companies, law enforcement agencies and industry to disrupt illegal sellers and better protect the public, she said.
Increased demand for weight loss medication may be fuelling the problem, as there is limited access through the NHS.
Organisations involved in the discussions included the MHRA, Care Quality Commission, General Medical Council, Royal College of General Practitioners, Patients Association, Lilly, the ABPI, and others.
Next, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Pharmacy plans to make recommendations to the Government on actions to combat fake online pharmacies and the supply of unregulated medicines.
