ABPI: There should be no need to use websites to buy drugs

There should be little need to purchase prescription drugs over the internet because existing systems should already provide for this without the need to use websites, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI).

The industry body says it is concerned over why people would need to buy prescriptions in this way, although it admitted that there are reputable internet pharmacies that provide services like repeat prescriptions for people who cannot reach their local pharmacy.

Fake pharmaceutical products has become an increasingly common problem in the UK and the comments follow the Royal Pharmaceutical Society’s announcement that it plans to set up system of logos that will enable consumers to differentiate between reputable and disreputable online pharmacists.

Matt Worrall, a spokesman of the ABPI, remarked: “[There’s] no direct link between the actual manufacturers and the patient that eventually takes the medicine.”

“That’s the whole point of having those health professionals in the middle – they are there to ensure that the patients are receiving the correct medicine and that it?s prescribed safely,” he added.

Mr Worrall concluded by saying that he had seen reports of people using the internet to buy drugs not presently available on the NHS, although the ABPI itself has no direct research to confirm or dismiss this.

Recently, Pfizer’s UK business announced it has decided to take control of the distribution of all of its products following several reports of counterfeit Lipitor reaching the market.

However, the company is to investigated by the Office of Fair Trading over its distribution arrangements to find out whether they are anti-competitive.