Pharmacists across Ireland have warned about the rising tide of counterfeit and potentially harmful medicines being sold online. The Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) is also warning the public to think twice before purchasing medicines from unverified websites, as doing so could pose serious risks to an individual’s health.
As more healthcare moves online, concerns are growing. A recent Ipsos- B&A study, commissioned by the IPU, confirmed that 32 per cent of people now look up healthcare-related information online, a trend that exposes people to growing risks, particularly if it involves the purchase of medicines.
Recently-published figures from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) reveal a 14 per cent increase in the seizure of illegal medicines in the past year, with fake weight loss drugs more than doubling, jumping from 568 units in 2023, to a staggering 1,582 in 2024.
Commenting, IPU President Tom Murray said: “Online consultations have improved healthcare access, but purchasing medicines from unregulated websites is a potential disaster waiting to happen. There are no safety checks, no oversight, and no guarantees about what is actually in the medicines.
“Every medicine dispensed in a pharmacy complies with rigorous quality standards and has also been checked by a pharmacist to ensure it is safe and appropriate for the patient. When you purchase a medication online from an unauthorised source, there is no way of identifying if these products are genuine or counterfeit. There is no way of knowing if they meet the appropriate standards, whether they have the correct active ingredients, or contain harmful substances. You could be taking something completely ineffective or dangerously toxic,” Mr Murray added.
Concluding, Mr Murray said: “Only healthcare professionals are qualified to prescribe medication and pharmacists are the medicines experts qualified to dispense them safely. The message from pharmacists is clear; if the medicine you purchase is not from a registered pharmacy, do not take it. The potential damage to your health is not worth the risk.”
