January 5th 2024

By Ailsa Colquhoun

BBC investigation uncovers the 'Wild West' of online pharmacies

Only 72% meet regulatory standards

A BBC investigation has found 20 online pharmacies selling restricted drugs without GP checks.

In total, BBC investigators bought over 1,600 various prescription-only pills by entering false information without challenge.

In the article, the BBC describes the "wild west" of buying medicines on the web. In a statement, the pharmacy regulator states that out of 680 inspections of online pharmacies since April 2019, only 72 per cent met all standards, compared to the overall historic benchmark of 84 per cent.

According to the General Pharmaceutical Council which regulates pharmacies,  since 2019 there have been 1985 concerns related to online pharmacies raised to fitness to practise

Enforcement action has been taken against 54 distinct online pharmacies to address patient safety risks. Typically, enforcement action has been taken against online pharmacies supplying higher risk medicines for private prescriptions based on questionnaire type consultations with little or no evidence of involvement of the patient’s usual GP. Use of overseas prescribers outside UK regulatory oversight is also a known concern.

The GPhC publishes guidance on providing pharmacy services at a distance and an FAQ on meeting online pharmacies guidance.

For patients there is a guide to buying medicines safely online.