Buying medicines over the Internet

Last updated: 01 September 2003

What can be found on the Internet?

The Internet has a large number of sites that offer medicines for sale. Some may offer vitamin, mineral or herbal preparations, some offer medicines that may be purchased without prescription and some offer medicines that are prescription-only. Unfortunately not all of these sites are legitimate.

Legitimate sites

Sites that are legitimate nearly always provide a street address and a telephone number for ease of contact. Legitimate pharmacy Internet sites will also require you to forward a valid prescription before prescription-only medicines are supplied.

Non-legitimate sites

Some sites that are not legitimate do not provide a street address but provide various reasons why you should buy from the site. These sites often play on the vulnerable by offering "miracle" cures for serious conditions such as cancer or stroke or other life threatening conditions. Such sites often display testimonials from persons who have allegedly taken the medicine or quote from research that has allegedly been published in medical journals. Others state that the products are manufactured in un-named Government licenced premises. Similar sites can be found that offer remedies for weight loss, hair loss and even anti-ageing. In these cases it is usually stated that the products are registered by a Government authority but if you read the site carefully it does not state that the claims for the products are Government approved.

Some sites that offer prescription-only medicines will do so after you have answered questions on-line that will be allegedly evaluated by a doctor. These sites also often encourage you to do so to save you the "embarrassment" of talking to a doctor face to face about medical conditions such as sexually transmitted diseases or erectile dysfunction.

What can happen if I buy medicines over the Internet?

Put simply you may not get what you have ordered.You may get medicines that are not true to label.They may be counterfeit, they may contain no actives at all, they may contain other undeclared drugs, they may be past their expiry date and may not be manufactured in licenced premises. Even if these medicines do not harm you directly or immediately, your condition may get worse without effective treatment.

If you obtain prescription-only medicines without being examined by a doctor there is the very real possibility that your condition will be misdiagnosed or that the medicine could interact with other medicines you are taking. It is extremely dangerous to purchase prescription-only medicines without having been properly examined by a doctor and a full medical history taken.

You may also be disadvantaged financially in that the medicines may not be sent to you at all or they could be seized by Customs on arrival in Australia.

Regulation of medicines in Australia

Australia has one of the best regulatory systems in the world to ensure that medicines available in Australia are of the highest standards. Most healthcare products must be included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) before they can be sold. An AUST R or AUST L number on the label of the medicine shows that it has been included on the ARTG.

An AUST R number shows that the product has been assessed for quality, safety and effectiveness.AUST L numbers are given to lower risk products used to treat minor health complaints.These numbers indicate that when the medicine is taken according to label directions it is considered to be safe and effective.

Additionally all medicines manufactured in Australia must be made in Government licenced premises that are subject to regular inspections.

Finally, all Internet pharmacies in Australia must be registered with the respective State Pharmacy Board.

What should I do?

Never take a prescription-only medicine that has not been prescribed for you by a doctor and who has not examined you in person. Always tell your doctor what other medicines you are taking, whether they are prescription-only or otherwise.

Never purchase any medicines over the Internet from sites that:
● do not display a street address and telephone number
● offers prescription-only medicines without a prescription or offers to issue a prescription based on answers to on-line questions
● claims to have miracle cures
● offers medicines for sale that do not have an AUST R or AUST L number.

More information

If you wish to check the registration of an Internet pharmacy, contact the NSW Pharmacy Board on (02) 9281 7736.

If you want more information about the registration of medicines in Australia, visit the Therapeutic Goods Administration website.

If you are still unsure, contact the Pharmaceutical Services Branch of NSW Health on (02) 9879 3214.