Medicines from the Internet
Shopping for Medicines on the Internet
The proportion of drug purchases from the Internet has risen sharply in recent years. However, not only reputable providers cavort in the vastness of the World Wide Web. The risk of receiving an unauthorised or even counterfeit drug after an online order is relatively high. Such preparations often do not correspond in any way to the strict requirements of the Austrian pharmaceutical legislation. There is not only a risk for the consumer that he has purchased an ineffective drug. In addition, unclear sources and therefore insufficient manufacturing quality may pose a high risk to health. These potentially dangerous counterfeit medicines are often difficult to distinguish from the original products. Manufacturers counterfeit drugs are increasingly succeeding in creating deceptively authentic copies of both the appearance of the drug and its packaging.
Safe and easy
It is therefore extremely important to offer an additional safety net on the part of the authorities. In June 2015, a uniform safety logo was introduced throughout Europe to clearly identify registered distance selling pharmacies (=Internet pharmacies). Furthermore, all Austrian distance selling pharmacies are listed and available on the homepage of the Federal Office for Safety in Health Care.
