The inappropriate prescription of antibiotics online pharmacies Reckless'

The inappropriate prescription of antibiotics online pharmacies Reckless

"Scientists have discovered illegally available antibiotics in 45% of sites tested" Mail reports online.

This title was stimulated by research in 20 online pharmacies selling antibiotics to the public in the UK.

The researchers examined whether the online pharmacy was duly registered - and therefore legally and if necessary a prescription of antibiotics before selling and whether the safety information is provided.

Most sellers have not been registered and therefore illegal. It was thought that most would be based outside the UK, although half did not provide details about where they were based. Nearly half does not require a prescription to buy antibiotics.

The conclusion that the British public is buying antibiotics is disturbing prescriber, especially unregistered illegal when they can choose the specific antibiotic and dose themselves.

Because antibiotics have been overused and poorly prescribed, the drugs lose their effectiveness in treating bacterial infections (antibiotic resistance). The more you use, the greater the chance that bacteria become resistant to drugs.

If the time bomb of antibiotic resistance continues, one might end up in a world where the above-mentioned mundane infections are impossible to treat.

It is important to use antibiotics in the right way - using the right drug at the right dose at the right time for the right duration.

Always consult a doctor or other health care professional before taking antibiotics, and only take antibiotics and medicines prescribed specifically for you.

Where does the story come from?

The study was conducted by researchers at the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, the National Institute of Health Protection Research Unit Health Care Associates Research and Antimicrobial Resistance Infections and the UCL School of Pharmacy, All in the United Kingdom.

It was funded by the National Research Institute's Health Research Unit for Health Protection in Associated Infections Health and Antimicrobial Resistance at Imperial College London, in collaboration with Public Health and Imperial England College Healthcare NHS Imperial Trust and the National Institute for Biomedical Research Center for Research on Health Research.

Three authors said they had consulted the pharmaceutical companies, but said that the opinions expressed were those of the pharmaceutical companies.

The study was published in Peer Review Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Reports in the British media about the study were accurate.

"Doctors across the country are making great strides in reducing inappropriate prescriptions, and this can not be compromised by reckless illegal online pharmacies," said Professor Sally Davies Cathedral Lady, medical director of the government.

She added, "It is essential that we take care of our antibiotics and we use them only when clinically appropriate.

"Usurpation promotes the development of drug resistant infections, which could stop treatments and we consider routine operations such as hip surgery, chemotherapy and caesarean section. "

What kind of research was it?

This cross-sectional analysis of data in order to analyze the quality and legal status of on-line pharmacies selling antibiotics to the public in the UK.

His goal was to describe the process of obtaining antibiotics online and examine the approach to promote and monitor the use of antimicrobials, including antibiotics, and to examine patient safety issues.

Cross-sectional analyzes are good for observing the general situation at a specific time. But they can not show trends over time, you can not tell us whether the quality and legality of online pharmacies and the process of getting antibiotics is getting worse or better.

What is the research involved?

This is an exploratory cross-sectional analysis of a representative sample of on-line pharmacies with the overall objective of understanding the current state of online sales of antibiotics in the UK.

A search for "buy antibiotics online" was made on Google and Yahoo, researchers said that these two were the world's most popular search engines.

They took 20 sites in total, including the top 10 identified in each search engine, which were in English and on sale to consumers in the UK. Then they sought to identify the country the site was operating from.

The researchers sought to understand the state of online sales of antibiotics in the UK.

They examined 20 sites as follows:

Assess the quality and legal status of these online pharmacies with registration status as an indication of the quality and legal status

Identification of antibiotic management or patient safety issues

The analysis of the online buying processes of antibiotics, and whether they were led by the consumer or directed by the prescribers

The consumer-oriented was described as if the first customer selected an antibiotic of your choice to put in your shopping cart online.

Prescriber was led when the client was led through an online consultation after clicking on a specific disease, and an antibiotic was chosen by the online prescription if necessary.

What were the baseline results?

Of the 20 sites that sell antibiotics:

15 have not been registered with the necessary bodies - General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in Britain or the UK Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) products and medicines, which also investigate suspicious sites operate in illegality. Of these 15, three were operating from India, two from Cyprus, and the location was not clear for the rest. The five GPhCs registered with the MHRA and the vendors were operating in the UK.

16 of the 20 sites were conducted by the consumer regarding the choice of antibiotics, dose and duration. This means that people could put the drug into your cart immediately without having an online consultation or provide a prescription.

9 of the 20 sites do not require a prescription before buying antibiotics.

14 of the 20 sites provided information before purchasing about safety and possible side effects, or when to avoid the use of antibiotics.

At the end of the study, all online providers who illegally sell antibiotics in the UK to the MHRA were informed.

How do researchers interpret the results?

The researchers concluded: "There is a wide variation among online pharmacies with regard to antibiotic practices, focusing on patient safety and stewardship problems of antibiotics.

"Online antibiotic providers urgently need to improve education, legislation, regulation and new guidelines for good management practices. "

They added: "To promote patient safety and preserve antibiotic treatment, an effective multidisciplinary working group is needed to resolve the problems we have identified. "

conclusion

The problem is that most online pharmacies had no proof of registration required by the UK and European legislation in force.

This could be because some traders were based outside of Europe, but no matter where they are based, remain subject to UK legislation if they sell to the public in the UK.

The study raises concerns about the effectiveness of UK legislation and the regulation of companies selling antibiotics on the Internet.

However, this research has limits:

Google and Yahoo searches are not identical when different browsers are used or when searches are performed at different times. This means that other sites could have been identified at another time.

Illegal sellers can change their name often to remain operational, so that the same vendor could have been identified more than once in this search with different names.

The researchers did not proceed to pay in their investigation of the sellers, if the safety or prescription information could be lost. The information sites without the need for a prescription would have asked one at a later stage or refused to prescribe antibiotics.

Aside from clear safety concerns, buying antibiotics online without prescription can contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance where antibiotics are no longer effective against infection.

If you think you may need antibiotics, consult your doctor or pharmacist. Your doctor will prescribe medications, including antibiotics, if it is safe and appropriate to do so.

People can help fight the problem of antibiotic resistance by:

Do not Buy Antibiotics Online

The use of antibiotics only when prescribed by a health professional

Recognizing that many coughs and colds, sore throats and stomach disorders are of viral origin and do not require - and they will not improve - with antibiotics

Take the full course of antibiotics as prescribed, even if you start to feel better

Never share or pass other antibiotics

Providing antibiotics in a foreign country is not recommended, especially without consulting a doctor.

In addition to the above concerns, the safety profile of the drug itself may not correspond to the stringent UK standards for the manufacture of pharmaceuticals.