Half of the pills on the internet are fake
Order online; who doesn’t these days. Groceries, clothing, books and equipment: with one click of the mouse you have it at home. However, ordering medicines on the internet is less sensible. Half of the pills are fake and the other half dangerous. But how dangerous really?
Ordering medicines via the internet has increased considerably in recent years. More than 500,000 Dutch people buy medicines online without a doctor’s prescription. And that while they actually have no idea what they are taking.
Dries de Kaste, pharmacist-researcher at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM): “Identifying online suppliers of fake pills is very difficult. Their websites look very reliable. Just like the tablets and capsules they send. Even for experts, counterfeit pills are hardly distinguishable from real ones. Often Dutch websites go behind Hiding foreign suppliers who use fake logos Even if you only order via the internet products that you have been taking for years and that you know for sure that you will benefit from it, it can be dangerous. “
Then there must be sugar in it or some other harmless stuff?
“That is a misunderstanding. It does contain active substances, otherwise nobody would buy internet pills anymore. Sometimes the dosage is too low. We often come across this with malaria pills, which many people order via the internet because it is cheaper. On the box for example, it says 80 mg and it only contains 50 or 30 mg of active ingredient: that means you are not protected against malaria. But overdose is just as common with internet pills, putting you at risk for serious side effects.
Some resources are contaminated with other medicines. For example, blood sugar lowering agents have been found in erection pills and ecstasy in painkillers. This is because internet pills are sometimes produced on poorly cleaned machines, on which other medicines are also made. There is no control whatsoever. So you never know what you are taking and what the consequences are for your health.”
What about over-the-counter medicines?
“The same applies to that. We found active substances in slimming tea that are no longer allowed to be sold on the Dutch market due to unfavorable side effects. It is dangerous to think: ‘oh well, it’s just an innocent home-garden-and-kitchen remedy’. ”
Is there a way to order securely online?
“If you want to buy medicines via the internet, it is important to only do so from a reliable provider. By finding out the address details of the pharmacy, you can pharmacy.nl check whether the provider is a pharmacy established in the Netherlands. Such a pharmacy complies with the rules laid down in the law.”
More information about ordering pills on the Internet can be found on the information site of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS): internetpills.nl.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
