BMA highlights danger of purchasing drugs on the web

The British Medical Association (BMA) has warned patients about the various dangers of buying prescription drugs over the internet.

Doctors have stated their wish to work with the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to control internet sales of medicines.

Many drugs available online have been found to be counterfeit and some have been shown as potentially harmful.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, chairman of the BMA Council, said the organisation would encourage the UK government to lead international action to deal with the issue.

He highlighted that the treatment of erectile dysfunction continued to be the most frequently purchased from internet sites.

Dr Meldrum acknowledged that men may still be wary of going to the doctor but he went on to indicate potential dangers of self prescribing.

“There are two problems, you may not be getting the named drug, you may be getting an inactive substance or at worst a dangerous substance. A proper consultation with a doctor is needed.”

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, head of science and ethics at the BMA, highlighted WHO data which suggested that half of the drugs sold worldwide over the internet were counterfeit.

Earlier this month, the BMA released a discussion paper looking at the ethics surrounding decisions to improve cognition and mental performance with pharmaceutical products and surgery.