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London (pte048/08.04.2003/18:12) - A study on over 100 online pharmacies has produced shocking results: poor information is the order of the day, and poses a serious health risk to unwary users.
Researchers at the University of Monash http://www.monash.edu.au looked at online pharmacies in over 12 countries, including the USA, great Britain and Australia, as reported by BBC Online http://news.bbc.co.uk .
Two thirds of online pharmacies were prepared to sell their products abroad, and only one in every three sites carried information on the products being offered. In addition to this, the information available was found to be insufficient - the experts felt it was not comprehensive enough to give patients a clear sense of whether a product was suited for a certain illness or not.
In placing their orders, the researchers also intentionally selected controversial products. In one case, they pretended to be an Australian woman interested in buying the anti-depressant Prozac, the pain killer Sudafed (pseudoephedrin hydrochloride) and St John's wort (hypericum perforatum). Pseudophedrin is often used to produce illegal amphetamines and is therefore forbidden in many countries, and St John's wort should not be taken in combination with many other medications. But 27 online pharmacies were prepared to sell each of the two without any further questions.
The study found that only half of online pharmacies offered information on interactions, side effects or dosages of their medications. Only 11 websites published a warning on potential side effects.
The British science magazine "Quality and Safety in Helathcare" http://qhc.bmjjournals.com came to the conclusion that consumers buying medication on the web could not obtain sufficient information on potentially dangerous combinations or side effects, and that it was therefore not advisable to purchase pharmaceutical products online.
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