From Wellbeing Magazine · Editorial Team · · 1m
Spot Fake Pharmacies: Red Flags for Safe Medicine
Check pharmacy credentials to avoid dangerous counterfeit medicines online.
In brief
Check pharmacy credentials to avoid dangerous counterfeit medicines online. Consumers should verify online pharmacy registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council before purchasing prescription drugs to prevent health risks. Originally reported by Wellbeing Magazine.
Quick answers
- What is a fake pharmacy?
- Online sellers promise weight loss, erectile dysfunction or hair loss treatments without proper checks.
- What is the key takeaway from Spot Fake Pharmacies: Red Flags for Safe Medicine?
- Consumers should verify online pharmacy registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council before purchasing prescription drugs to prevent health risks.
What is a fake pharmacy?
Online sellers promise weight loss, erectile dysfunction or hair loss treatments without proper checks.
“Scroll through Instagram or TikTok for more than a minute and you’ll likely see an advert promising rapid weight loss, a discreet fix for erectile dysfunction or a miracle cure for thinning hair.”
Why fake pharmacies are dangerous
Counterfeit medicines cause hospitalizations, dangerous drug interactions and unmonitored side effects.
“Counterfeit weight loss jabs have been linked to hospitalisations after people injected the wrong dose or the wrong compound entirely.”
Real pharmacies don’t advertise on social media
Legitimate UK pharmacies avoid social media ads for prescription medicines due to advertising law.
“Genuine pharmacies will never directly advertise prescription medicines through social media sales, because doing so breaches advertising law in the UK.”
Check for clinical checks
Real pharmacies require a clinical check before dispensing prescription drugs.
“A proper pharmacy will also always require some form of clinical check before dispensing a prescription-only medicine, whether that’s a short questionnaire reviewed by a pharmacist or a video consultation.”
Price is a red flag
Medicines costing far below market rate indicate counterfeit stock.
“Medicines that cost a fraction of the normal market rate are a red flag rather than a bargain, since legitimate suppliers can’t undercut regulated pricing by that much and still be sourcing genuine stock.”
Verify registration with GPhC
Check the pharmacy’s registration number on the General Pharmaceutical Council website.
“Very importantly, consumers should also check whether the pharmacy is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, which every legal online pharmacy in Great Britain must be.”
Look for proper packaging
Genuine medicines come with labelling, patient leaflets and batch numbers.
“Delivery packaging can raise alarm bells too. Genuine pharmacy medicines arrive with proper labelling, patient information leaflets and batch numbers.”
The essence
Consumers should verify online pharmacy registration with the General Pharmaceutical Council before purchasing prescription drugs to prevent health risks.
