Tw to be shocked that people can buy prescription only medication online and things such as chemicals

[Legally77777]

It’s just so dangerous

I know people that couldn't get melatonin for their kid so bought it online out of desperation

But... Everything.. is chemicals

No, most won’t do any of that. As an ex addict I can tell you they’ll sell you whatever you want to buy. I used to buy a pack of 28 zopiclone, diazepam and propranolol every month. The same doctors sell stuff like tramadol and steroids. You can buy anything from online pharmacies

You put your order in and pay and you fill in a questionnaire and they’ll email you saying it has to be reviewed and prescribed, they’ll refund you if you’re rejected. And they prescribe it every time

It’s virtually impossible to see a GP at my surgery, and there’s no e-consult either. I have a prescription on repeat for my IBS which I am due a review on, but I can’t get an appointment for the review, so they won’t issue the repeat - buying it from an online pharmacy is an easy solution. I’m sure there are loads of people in a similar position as it’s so hard to see a doctor now.

I have to say when I bought prescription only meds last week, they didn't ask a single question, only how many I wanted and what delivery I would like. To be fair, it wasn't anything dangerous or addictive but I was surprised.

OP do you mean genuine prescriptions, or do you mean black market prescription drugs and research chemicals?
The former isn't any more problematic than going to the GP. The latter is a big problem, albeit nothing new - just less visible than it used to be when things were sold on the street.

I have sadly worked with a fair few individuals who caused themselves serious damage using research chemicals that had hallucinogenic effects - long term repeat exposure to god knows what. I also worked with someone who tried to convince me that their 400 pills of etizolam (bought on dark web) wasn't a problem - for comparison, it's at least 5x stronger than diazepam!

Black market unfortunately

It’ll blow you mind when you discover you buy heroin crack and speed off the yoofs you see hanging around the one stop shop

I can wait three weeks for a GP appointment or I can fill in a few forms online and get the medication when I actually need it. I can’t see the problem. They ask exactly the same questions an in person doctor would.

Melatonin is treated as a food supplement in many countries. I bring it back in tubs of 200 x 10mg from the US.

Well it's not good that it happens but there's always been a market for it - it used to be on the streets and now it's mainly online. It still takes some work and a lot of risk to sell or buy them though, it's not like the police turn a blind eye to it.

Same, I buy my life saving medication from overseas as the NHS won’t prescribe it for me. Other countries sell it over the counter. Thank goodness for the internet.

The ethical and safety issues around purchasing medication online do really worry me but at the same time I'm a total hypocrite as I've done it! I have a DS who takes meds for ADHD and who struggles with his mental health and a while ago there were major issues with ADHD medication shortages. You just couldn't get his meds in the UK, I rang so many pharmacies trying to cobble his dose together, I lost track of how many I contacted. I was really concerned about his state of mind and possible consequences of not taking his meds for a sustained period of time. I was desperate to keep him stable. So during that time I went online and bought his prescribed meds each month. It was the same medication and dose he'd taken for years, and it was no different to what he'd always been prescribed by a qualified medic. But the fact that I could buy it online with no checks....I do agree that that's scary.

Those of you buying from online pharmacies, be sure to check that they are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council, so you know you'll be getting genuine medications rather than fake ones that may be ineffective or even dangerous.
https://www.pharmacyregulation.org/registers/pharmacy