This story was first published in digitalhealth.net
CQC raises concern over online drugs providers
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned people to be think twice before buying medications online, after an investigation found ‘widespread failings’ at some providers.
The watchdog inspected 43 internet prescription services in England, and found some were ‘potentially presenting a significant risk to patients’.
The regulator has published reports on urgent inspections of two websites: Treated.com, run by HR Healthcare, and MD Direct, which runs Assetchemist.co.uk.
It found both providers demonstrated significant safety and organisational risk to patients, with widespread failure to provide safe care.
The main concerns highlighted were little to no verification of patients' identities; inadequate prescribing; and no assurances that the clinicians working behind the sites had the relevant skills or qualifications for the roles they were performing.
Prof Steve Field, the CQC's chief inspector of general practice, commented: “As with conventional GP surgeries, online companies and pharmacies are required to provide safe, high-quality and compassionate care and must adhere to exactly the same standards. They must not cut corners.”
In an interview with the BBC, Field added: “Some of these websites prescribed unlicensed medicines and - even more worringly - medicines for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, heart disease and Lithium for bipolar disorder.
"Patients can go online, self-diagnose their condition, order their own medicine and obtain a prescription from the online doctor service, with minimal checks.”
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