Medication Up to 90 percent of prescription-only medicines sold online are thought to be fake, so news that some men admit to buying them online suggests they may be taking alarming risks with their health.
The ‘Cracking Counterfeit’ report commissioned by pharmaceutical giant, Pfizer, revealed that 10 percent of the men interviewed admitted to buying prescription-only medicines without a prescription, and that 68% of men suspected the ingredients found in counterfeit medicine to be very different from those contained in authentic medicines. Half of the men who bought medicines without a prescription had done so online.
According to Pfizer, counterfeit medicine can contain high levels of toxic solvents; for example, rat poison has been found in a counterfeit blood pressure-lowering treatment, while boric acid and lead-based road paint have both been found in a fake medicine supposed to ease severe pain.
The study also highlights the ignorance amongst men about which medicines actually require a prescription – only 40% of the men interviewed knew that erectile dysfunction drugs are in fact legally available only with a prescription
TV doctor, Dr Mark Porter, who is supporting Pfizer’s campaign, said: “I can see why some people might consider buying prescription medicines online from unregulated ‘pharmacies’ – it’s convenient, relatively anonymous and often cheaper – but they shouldn’t. Any apparent benefits are more than outweighed by the risks of ending up with counterfeit medicines. Fakes that are unlikely to contain what they are supposed to, and which often contain chemicals they shouldn’t. At best they are useless, and at worst potentially lethal.”