Get wise to medicine spam

• What is medicine spam?
  
  Spam is any kind of unwanted online communication. The most common form of spam is unwanted email, although spam is becoming more common on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Some spam is harmless but it is also often used to sell unsuspecting individuals counterfeit medicines, we call this 'medicine spam'.
  
  Medicine spam offers you the opportunity to purchase prescription-only medicines without a prescription. If the website you are directed to allows you to purchase medicines without a prescription, it should not be trusted. The medicine may be real - or it may not be, but anyone who takes the medicine bought from these websites is risking their health and possibly giving money to organised crime as well.
• What is a prescription-only medicine (POM)?
  
  POM medicines can only be supplied from a registered pharmacy under the supervision of a pharmacist, together with the appropriate prescription. This stringent process reflects the level of qualified input that medical experts consider is needed before dispensing this type of medicine.
  (Prescription medicine search engine) www.mims.co.uk/search/Drugs
• What are the risks when purchasing medicines without a prescription?
  
  Buying POM medicines without a prescription from websites that are not part of registered pharmacies can present a number of risks. There is no assurance that an appropriately qualified health professional will assess whether the medicine is safe and appropriate for you to use, or advise you on how the medication should be taken. The safety and quality of medicines sold by unregistered internet suppliers cannot be guaranteed.
  
  Proper medical treatment starts with a well-informed medical diagnosis. GPs have the knowledge and experience to look for certain medical conditions when patients present specific symptoms. A GP will take into account the suitability of treatment, your life stage and medical history, before deciding which medicine is best for you.
  
  For more information visit:
  • www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs275/en/index.html
  • www.mhra.gov.uk/Safetyinformation/Generalsafetyinformationandadvice/
    Adviceandinformationforconsumers/BuyingmedicinesovertheInternet/index.htm
• You could be risking your health
  
  Counterfeit medicines pose a public health risk because their content can be dangerous or they can lack active ingredients. Their use can result in treatment failure (and contribute to increased resistance in the case of anti-malarials that contain insufficient active ingredient) or even death.
• You could be taking a financial risk
  
  As well as the risks to your health by bypassing the healthcare system, you are also putting yourself at risk if you pay for counterfeit medicines with your credit card. Credit card fraud costs individuals and credit card companies hundreds of millions of pounds each year and also costs cardholders time, money and stress.
  
  When you do business with someone unknown, check your card statement carefully, not only to ensure the transaction has gone through for only the proper amount, but also any unfamiliar activity. If you notice any discrepancies, contact your credit card company immediately, as well as the credit reporting agencies, asking for a copy of your credit file and have a fraud alert placed on your account.
  
  For more information visit www.financialfraudaction.org.uk
• But why take a risk at all?
  
  When you place an order with an unknown, unregulated site, how do you know that you'll even receive your purchase? It could simply be a scam to steal credit card numbers for future use. If they claim a 5-6 week delivery time, be extremely cautious. That offers enough time for them to receive payment from the credit card company and disappear. Not all online medicine sales are illegal. Legal registered pharmacies deliver medications from government-licensed facilities and sell only on the basis of a prescription. These services also offer payment and delivery in a safe and secure manner.
• Be sure that you are buying from a registered online pharmacy
  
  An approved UK online pharmacy will be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The GPhC acknowledges that it can be difficult to distinguish between registered online pharmacies and other commercial websites.
  
  To find out if a pharmacy is registered click on the link below:
  
  http://www.pharmacyregulation.org
  
  Then enter the registration number or trading name and town/postcode of the pharmacy.