Online shopping

Caution should be exercised when buying medicines online and purchases should only be made from licensed pharmacies. All pharmacies (including those trading on line) must register with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Reputable online pharmacy sites are able to display the registered pharmacy logo, which links to a page on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain website, and allows patients to see the details and credentials of the website and check that it is properly licensed.

Further details of this scheme can be found on the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain website at www.rpsgb.org

Criminal organisations are well established on the internet and countless patients have already fallen victim to their activities, buying prescription-only medicines via internet auction sites or other marketplaces or responding to spam emails advertising lifestyle drugs.

In recent years the sale of medicines via the internet or mail order has become more and more widespread. There are, of course, reputable and licensed online pharmacies, but equally there also a great number of "black sheep". The service provided by illegal suppliers can seem tempting - especially with products which may cause embarrassment, such as treatment for erectile dysfunction as they do not require a prescription.

At no point is a counterfeit medicine worth the risks to your health, your family or the “cost-saving” you might make.