Buying Medicines Online: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
Falsified medicines are a real and growing problem, and the sites selling them look exactly like the ones that do not.
Key takeaways
- Legitimate UK sellers: display the MHRA distance selling logo
- Pharmacies: must be registered with the GPhC and listed on its register
- Most useful single change: Check the GPhC register before buying from any online pharmacy.
- Commonest mistake: Any site offering prescription medicines without a prescription.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.
What it is
Obtaining medicines from internet pharmacies and websites. It sits within Medicines Safety. Here are the numbers, taken from the guidance cited at the end.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Legitimate UK sellers | display the MHRA distance selling logo |
| Pharmacies | must be registered with the GPhC and listed on its register |
| Prescription-only medicines | require a prescription, always |
| A site selling POMs without one | is operating unlawfully |
What helps
You do not have to do all of it, and you do not have to start today.
- Check the GPhC register before buying from any online pharmacy
- Look for the MHRA distance selling logo and click it to verify
- Use a UK-registered pharmacy
What to avoid
Things that seem reasonable and are not.
- Any site offering prescription medicines without a prescription
- Buying from social media or marketplace listings
- Products with no ingredient list or no patient information leaflet
Where to go next
- Buying Medicines Online: Separating Myth From Guidance
- Buying Medicines Online: A Beginner-Friendly Start
- Buying Medicines Online — the reference entry
- Medicines in Older Age: What Published Guidance Supports
- Reporting Side Effects: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to speak to a doctor
Stop taking anything bought from an unverified source and speak to a pharmacist or GP. Seek urgent help for a rash, swelling, difficulty breathing, palpitations or confusion after taking a medicine from an unknown source. Report suspected falsified medicines to the MHRA.
Where this comes from
- MHRA — buying medicines online safely
- General Pharmaceutical Council — register
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.
Spotted something wrong? Report an error on this page. We correct on the page and say what changed.
