Illegal online pharmacies ‘could fuel AMR’
“Unnecessary antibiotic use can result in serious side effects in individuals and has a major impact on wider public health by increasing antibiotic resistance."
New research by Imperial College London has found antibiotics are available without a prescription from 45 per cent of online pharmacies surveyed.
The results raise “real concern” about antibiotic resistance and patient safety, co-author Dr Sara Boyd said.
Antibiotics are prescription-only medicines in the UK and cannot legally be sold without a valid prescription.
Researchers typed ‘buy antibiotics online’ into Google and Yahoo, before analysing the top 20 online pharmacies to come up in the search results. Their findings have been published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
The research team also found 80 per cent of the pharmacies let customers choose the dosage, duration and type of antibiotic treatment. Only 30 per cent asked buyers to complete a health questionnaire prior to purchasing drugs, and three-quarters of the sites lacked evidence of appropriate registration status, which is a legal requirement.
Seventy per cent of the pharmacies provided information on the safe use of prescription-only medicines, including potential side effects and adverse reactions when combined with other drugs.
Commenting on the results, Martin Astbury, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “Unnecessary antibiotic use can result in serious side effects in individuals and has a major impact on wider public health by increasing antibiotic resistance.
“We cannot support access to antibiotics through a web form until the standards for prescribing by private providers reflect the standard of face to face consultations in the NHS. Those involved in supplying medicines online should ensure their processes are as robust as possible.”
The study is one of only a few to have explored the online availability of antibiotics and the potential impact of this on public health. Researchers acknowledged it is a ‘small snapshot’ of the industry but provides important insights into the way it operates.
Dr Boyd said: “Our study paves the way for larger, more thorough research into this worrying new trend so that we can ensure patient safety and promote the responsible use of antibiotics in all areas of healthcare provision.”
All online pharmacies that were found to be illegally selling antibiotics were reported to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.
