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Buying medicines over the Internet Buying medicines over the Internet
Buying medicines over the Internet from the comfort of your own home may sound appealing. But, how safe is it? Many websites selling medicines are legitimate businesses. However, many are not. Many websites are 'fake' sites, and many sell out-of-date, poor quality, contaminated or even fake medicines. Sorting out the 'good' sites from the 'bad' ones isn't always easy. If you decide to buy medicines online, here are a few hints to point you in the right direction.
Be wary of going it alone
No medicine is 100% safe. Buying a medicine over the Internet without being able to talk to a pharmacist puts you at risk of taking a medicine that is not appropriate for your needs, has undesirable side effects, or interacts with your other medicines.
Use Australian sites
Avoid using overseas websites. Medicines bought overseas may have different ingredients from the brand sold in Australia, even if the brand name is similar. Overseas medicines may not meet Australia's strict quality and safety standards. It is also illegal for some medicines to be brought into Australia by post.
Never buy medicines from a website that does not give its full postal address. It could be a fake site.
Prescription medicines
In Australia, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme subsidises the cost of most prescription medicines. This means that most prescription medicines cost substantially less here than overseas. It also means that, if you have a concession card, most prescription medicines cost the same ($4.90) whether you buy them from an ordinary pharmacy or an online pharmacy. If you don't have a concession card, you may find that some prescription medicines are cheaper online, but most will cost much the same (up to $30.70).
If buying prescription medicines from online pharmacies, buy only from sites that ask you to produce a valid prescription from a doctor. Never buy from sites that sell medicines without a prescription, or issue you with a prescription following an online consultation of some sort.
Wild claims
Beware of sites that offer revolutionary, new or miracle cures, or cures whose effectiveness is guaranteed. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
The information in MedicinesTalk is not medical advice, so seek professional help before making any decisions based on this information.
This article was accurate and up-to-date when it was published. The evidence or context for this article might have changed since then.
MedicinesTalk is a free quarterly newsletter for consumers written by consumers about using medicines wisely. Subscribe to the hard copy version using our online ordering system, or write to MedicinesTalk, National Prescribing Service Limited, PO Box 1147, Strawberry Hills, NSW 2012.
