Where to purchase antibiotics online

This means that the antibiotic will not be effective anymore. As antibiotic resistance is becoming more commonplace, a number of infections are now becoming harder to treat, such as tuberculosis and gonorrhoea.

Misuse and the over prescribing of antibiotics means the bacteria strains causing these infections are resistant to treatment and antibiotics are less effective, therefore leading to more serious conditions, increased hospital stays and even death. Efforts are now being made in order to prevent the development of antibiotic resistance, with the use of antibiotics being restricted, and some conditions no longer being prescribed antibiotics as a form of treatment, such as some chest infections.

Your doctor will prescribe a course of antibiotics to you, often for a duration of between days, to be taken up to 4 times a day, either with food or on an empty stomach depending upon the type of antibiotic prescribed.

It is worth noting that you should complete the full course of antibiotics given to you, even if you feel better before you have finished your treatment. This is because your body needs to get rid of all of the bacteria causing the infection, as if any is left behind after you stop taking the antibiotics, you may run the risk of the remaining bad bacteria becoming resistant to the antibiotic you have taken.

You may experience some minor side effects, such as feeling sick or diarrhoea, but these should not be serious. However, if you take more than this amount, it is wise to contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Common side effects of antibiotics include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach upset. Sometimes patients can experience coughing, a tight throat or itchy skin, but this can be gone with the use of common antihistamines. Data were collected on prescription requirements and whether information for safe prescribing allergies, comorbidities, pregnancy was required prior to the purchase of an antibiotic. Web sites were thoroughly reviewed to identify statements on prescription requirements.

All web pages specifying the sale of antibiotics were analysed in detail and the process for obtaining an antibiotic was followed up to the point of inputting payment information for each web site. A prescriber-driven process was when the consumer was first directed through an online consultation after clicking on a specific ailment, and if appropriate, a prescription for an antibiotic was subsequently selected by the prescriber. Data were also collected on whether any safety information on adverse effects was provided to patients during the online process, whether oral or intravenous iv antibiotics were available for purchase, the standard delivery time to the UK, and whether an express delivery option was available.

Each web site was explored in detail and data were collected on the name of all antibiotics that appeared available for purchase online. The third objective was to identify any resulting AS and patient safety issues; this was met through integration of the above findings.

After completion of data collection, all vendors identified as illegally selling antibiotics to patients within the UK were reported to the MHRA. Ethics approval was not required for this study of open-source data. Flow diagram displaying results from a search performed on 28 February Prescription and information requirements for obtaining an antibiotic among the top 20 online pharmacies analysed.

This study raises several important issues regarding AS and patient safety with online pharmacies. Concerning heterogeneity was observed in the legality and quality of online pharmacies, the processes for obtaining an antibiotic, and in other safety procedures prior to the point of payment.

A similar study, carried out by Mainous et al. The relative paucity of published literature around selling antibiotics via the internet contrasts with numerous studies relating to other classes of medication. A systematic review published in assessed relevant studies and aimed to determine the characteristics and quality of online pharmacies. Confirming the registration status was facilitated by a user-friendly hyperlink, enabling potential consumers to check the legitimacy of a web site.

However, this mechanism to reassure the public on quality and safety relies on consumers understanding what the logos represent. This may be because some of the identified pharmacies were operating outside of Europe, with three based in India. Regardless of where they are based, vendors providing antibiotics to patients within the UK are subject to UK legislation. While non-prescription antibiotics are recognized as an important means for access in resource-poor settings, 34 this is unlikely to be a concern within the UK, where healthcare is free at the point of need.

This study raises concerns on the effectiveness of current legislation, licensing and regulation for platforms selling antibiotics via the internet to UK consumers. We have identified a variety of processes for obtaining antibiotics online, including heterogeneity in the safety assessments made to determine whether antibiotics were required, and if so, the most appropriate and safe antibiotic choice, dose and duration.

These lacked consistency and often came subsequent to a consumer-driven choice on requirement and type of antibiotic. Some questionnaires comprised drop-down boxes, some free-text boxes and others a mixture of both.

Opinion is mixed regarding whether antibiotics should be available without prescription. In addition, a uniform, consistent and thorough health questionnaire should be mandatory. This tool should be developed through collaboration with key UK stakeholders to ensure that online patient safety and antibiotic stewardship are consistent with national best practice. Mainous et al.

Consumers accessing health web sites have relatively high levels of digital health literacy, 17 but there remains a need for a formal assessment of web sites to ensure uniform standards for user-friendly platforms and readability, and for important health messages to be conveyed.

If antibiotics are to be sold online, advice to see a healthcare provider promptly if an adverse reaction occurs or if presenting symptoms do not improve must be at the forefront of the antibiotic purchasing process.

Antibiotics were advertised directly to patients on several web sites, and although direct-to-consumer marketing may be permitted in other healthcare settings, this practice is not congruent with current MHRA regulations. Recognition that inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is correlated with public expectation has been the focus of several educational campaigns led by the UK Department of Health and PHE. This research raises a question on the potential unintended consequences of stewardship initiatives that improve and reduce antibiotic prescribing through traditional routes.

At present there is no way to estimate the acquisition of antibiotics through legal or illegal online pharmacies. Although the gains of this strategy have been modest to date, the prospect that a patient may seek to obtain an antibiotic from an alternative source, such as online, reinforces its importance. Practitioners should seek to address the issues surrounding obtaining medicines online with those felt most likely to engage in this behaviour, although further research is urgently required to understand who they may be.

It seems likely that they represent a group that is hard to reach through traditional healthcare, given their preference to seek healthcare through non-traditional routes. A snowball approach that actively seeks to engage online healthcare communities may prove useful to identify these consumers.

Facilitated small group or one-to-one sessions using formal qualitative behavioural research methods, aiming to understand how to engage their desire for self-management in a safe manner, is required. In addition to these strategies, the issues surrounding obtaining a variety of medicines online, including antibiotics, should be integrated into the curricula for all prescribers in order to raise awareness.

This is the first analysis looking specifically at issues pertaining to the availability of antibiotics online to patients within the UK. Web sites were identified using a method felt to be widely representative of how consumers search for and buy products online.

By using two popular search engines we identified a broad range of relevant web sites. This study had limitations inherent to the constantly evolving online consumer domain. A Google or Yahoo search is not identical when different browsers are used for the same search, or when the same search is performed at different times. Different consumers may be faced with different purchasing options. However, it is widely accepted that the most popular sites will be placed higher on the result list for all searchers.

Illegal vendors may also masquerade, and change their domain name frequently in order to remain operational. There is a possibility that if this occurred, the same vendor may have been included twice, although this is unlikely given the cross-sectional nature of the study. In addition, one researcher analysed all web sites and would have most likely noticed any striking similarities among them. When antibiotics are dispensed in person, an opportunity to ensure patient safety exists when handing over a prescription.

Actually purchasing antibiotics was beyond the scope of our analysis, and in not proceeding to payment we may have missed any patient safety prompts that occur only after a monetary transaction. Statements on web sites were sought to determine whether antibiotic prescriptions were required. However, by not proceeding through a payment transaction we cannot be certain whether web sites that made no statement on prescription requirement would subsequently refuse to process an order without a valid prescription, or whether web sites that had statements on prescription requirement would subsequently dispense antibiotics without a valid prescription.

We did not explore whether or not information was sought on concomitant medications that may affect antibiotic suitability; collecting this additional data would be a valuable focus for future research. Finally, the URL pages we identified may no longer be operational. All vendors identified as illegally selling antibiotics to patients within the UK were reported directly to the MHRA, 41 who promptly responded by e-mail stating that all concerns had been passed to the Enforcement Team.

The way patients interact with healthcare is constantly evolving and shifts in consumer behaviour over the past decade mean increasing numbers are now opting to purchase products online. The availability of antibiotics online, or products being sold as such, poses a serious threat to patient safety and national antibiotic stewardship initiatives.

We make several key recommendations for stakeholders in the UK. Compared with vendors that require a medical interview, vendors who sell antibiotics without a prescription were more likely to sell quantities in excess of a single course, and the antibiotics were more likely to take more than 7 days to reach the customer.

Conclusions: Antibiotics are freely available for purchase on the Internet without a prescription, a phenomenon that encourages self-medication and low quality of care. Abstract Purpose: Reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics is key to many antibiotic resistance initiatives. We aim to offer you similar pattern of healthcare as if you were to visit your normal GP for a face to face consultation.

We believe it is important that you complete a medical consultation to ensure that the treatment option you are requesting is appropriate for your needs. Our GMC registered doctors are also able to suggest treatment options for you if you prefer. Once a doctor has approved you for treatment all prices are clearly displayed.

Your medical consultation and registration is free and you are under no obligation to purchase any treatment after your consultation. In order to manage some conditions online, we are required to inform your GP about the medicine you have been prescribed.

This will be clearly highlighted during your consultation. We will not contact or share this information with your GP without your consent. You are required to provide consent each time you order, so you remain in full control of when we contact your GP on your behalf.

Your Anytime Doctor medical record is confidential and securely stored on our UK data servers. We will never share your details unless you expressly ask us to do so. For advice and information use the NHS online coronavirus service. United Kingdom. Altitude Sickness Acetazolamide formerly known as Diamox. Premature Ejaculation Priligy. Secure and confidential All data stored on UK servers. Fast and efficient No face to face appointment needed.

Home Prescription Travel Pack. Antibiotics will not work because it is a virus. Please see the latest travel advice if you are going to a region with known coronavirus or have recently returned from one.

Please see the latest government advice if you are concerned about coronavirus. For up to date advice about what to do if you are experiencing symptoms, please visit the dedicated NHS pages.

It is intended for travellers who wish to have a standby medical bag containing prescription only medication, sterile dressings, sterile gauzes and sterile needles. Our packs go above and beyond first aid kits available over the counter. We offer multiple travel packs, each intended to provide peace of mind when travelling. Our basic travel pack contains everything you might need for travel to countries where medical care does not meet UK standards.

If you are off on a longer trip or on a GAP year, then our pack specially created for long term or more adventurous remote travel may suit you better. We also have packs designed to be taken on sailing holidays or for executive travel. Whatever your needs, we are pretty sure we have a pack to suit you as our packs are designed to be tailored to your health needs.

You will be asked to complete a medical questionnaire, where you tell us about your current health and any medicines you may already be taking.