# Key Post: Online Pharmacies?



## Marion (2 Mar 2004)

Hi, 

Has anyone got experience of buying prescription drugs online (without prescription)? If so can you recommned a god online retailer?

There are so many websites offering but it's difficult to know which ones are trustworthy and reliable.

ps. I know buying/taking prescription drugs without proper medical advice is not recommened.


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## Techman (3 Mar 2004)

*online pharmacy*

I have used www.pharmacy2u.co.uk

Great service.


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## Medical (4 Mar 2004)

*.*

How do you know that the medicine obtained is the real thing and not just a copy (or talc in a capsule!)?


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## Sean (4 Mar 2004)

*.*

The products on that site all appear to be brand name products, and the site does appear to be UK based.  It's not in Russia.


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## Laoise (4 Mar 2004)

*on-line pharmacies*

I've not used them personnally but www.docmorris.com are very popular in Holland & Germany
Recently they won a court case in Germany where some pharmacy organisations wanted to prohibit them from operating, so one can be sure that they are a legitimate organisation.


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## Tommy (4 Mar 2004)

*Re: on-line pharmacies*

If you poison yourself and/or your family by taking inappropriate medication, I hope you won't then demand to have either the public medical system or VHI/BUPA insurance pay for the cost of your recovery.


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## daltonr (4 Mar 2004)

*Re: on-line pharmacies*



> How do you know that the medicine obtained is the real thing and not just a copy (or talc in a capsule!)?



How do you know that when you buy over the counter?



> If you poison yourself and/or your family by taking inappropriate medication, I hope you won't then demand to have either the public medical system or VHI/BUPA insurance pay for the cost of your recovery.



You should work for the Pharmacists as a Lobbyist.  That's brilliant stuff!  Is it any different to poisoning yourself on over the counter drugs?  

-Rd


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## Tommy (4 Mar 2004)

*Re: on-line pharmacies*



> You should work for the Pharmacists as a Lobbyist. That's brilliant stuff!



Are you being smart?     If so, proves my point from an earlier post in another thread today:


> there are plenty of good reasons why high prices are charged for certain goods or services...Whenever this is explained on these pages, people don't ever seem interested in hearing the reasons and regularly question the bona fides of the person giving the explanation.





> Is it any different to poisoning yourself on over the counter drugs?


Yes it is. The dispensation of over the counter drugs is strictly regulated in this country. In general, potentially dangerous medicine can only be dispensed where accompanied by an appropriate standard of advice. Pharmacists and doctors are professionally and financially accountable for breaches of regulations and/or failure to observe good practice. Consumers are protected (both as consumers and as patients) by these laws, which also provide assurance as to the quality of the product being purchased. Afaik, no such accountability or recourse exists in relation to medicines bought or imported(perhaps illegally) off the web.


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## daltonr (5 Mar 2004)

*Re: on-line pharmacies*



> Are you being smart?  If so, proves my point from an earlier post in another thread today:



I wasn't being smart I was being serious.  The pharmacists were on the Radio talking about Boots this week and you sounded like you were singing off the same hymn sheet.
No offence intended.

-Rd


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## Tommy (5 Mar 2004)

*Re: on-line pharmacies*

Hi daltonr
I didn't hear that interview but in general I think that the pharmacists have had a very protected existence in this country for several years so change (ie more competition) is inevitable. I still don't think that online pharmacies are the way to go.


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## XXXAnother PersonXXX (5 Mar 2004)

*?*

If you go to the doctor and get prescribed medicine, what is the problem of getting it cheaper on the internet?

Doesn't it say on the prescription how much to take? (It doesn't say where you should purchase it)

Why should it be illegal?


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## Tommy (5 Mar 2004)

*Re: ?*

For reasons of potential misuse and falling quality standards.

If you believe guns should be freely available for sale on the web, I am unlikely to convince you otherwise in relation to medicines. However the principle in the same.


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## daltonr (5 Mar 2004)

*Re: ?*

Tommy,

That's a very interesting way of putting it.
Of course someone with a gun is far more likely to hurt others than themselves.  Someone with medication is far more likely to hurt themselves than others.

It's an important distinction.

-Rd


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## ajapale (5 Mar 2004)

*"Boots -the NOT Chemists"*

Hi DaltonR



> Someone with medication is far more likely to hurt themselves than others.



I wonder...? I saw some statistic that an alarming proportion of gun fatatlities and injuries in the US are accidental or self inflicted.

Also less regulation of pharmacies might lead to people engaging in "selling on" drugs thus harming others.

As an aside I notice that our new "Boots -the NOT Chemists" here in Tralee does not have a prescription counter. What next the "Pub with no Beer"!

Ajapale


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## medicine (6 Mar 2004)

*.*

Sean, are you suggesting that there is not an active trade in counterfeit goods in Ireland, UK or States (not just Russia).  Fake perfumes with Brand name packaging are available in markets in Dublin.

My experience is that I buy prescription drugs every second month from UK and US websites (cost driven).  I ensure I use a secure site and one that gives a contact address as well as e-mail address.  Have not had any problems and know I am obtaining "the real thing" because they work.  The reason I have used a number of sites is that these websites regularly close down (and reincarnate under other names, I know this from the confirmation e-mails).  This is suspicious in itself.  

The other thing I have noticed is without exception drugs are never shipped from UK or US.  Its usually Pakistan.  

I will continue to purchase drugs on-line, but have concerns.  For instance I was once sent the wrong drug  (could people make mistakes and use an incorrect drug, possibly), I returned a got right order without any problem and got a quick response to e-mail queries.


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## rainyday (6 Mar 2004)

*Re: .*

I presume that by purchasing overseas you rule yourself out of the Govt DPS scheme which caps your expenditure on perscription drugs to around €70 per month.


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## Sean (7 Mar 2004)

*.*

QUOTE:"are you suggesting that there is not an active trade in counterfeit goods in Ireland, UK or States"

No, not at all.  Personally speaking I'm just very wary of purchasing anything from Russia.

Personally I also purchase medication from overseas; India in fact.  I pay about 100 Euro.  Ordinarily one would have to pay well over 1,000 Euro if purchased here.


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## rainyday (7 Mar 2004)

*Re: .*



> Ordinarily one would have to pay well over 1,000 Euro if purchased here.



This is not true. The drug payment scheme limits your liability to €78 per month, or €936 per annum. So you would never have to may more than €1k per annum on perscription drugs.


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## Sean (7 Mar 2004)

*.*

For this particular medication it is true.


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## rainyday (8 Mar 2004)

*Re: .*

Explain more, Sean. The DPS covers all medication.


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## Sean (9 Mar 2004)

*.*

Are you sure about that?


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## rainyday (9 Mar 2004)

*Re: .*

From 



> Under the Drugs Payment Scheme an individual or family in Ireland only has to pay a maximum of 78 euro for approved prescribed drugs, medicines and certain appliances for use by that person or his or her family in that month.


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## XXXAnother PersonXXX (9 Mar 2004)

*.*

*'approved'* and *'certain'*

Sounds like the dentist scheme. When you look into it, the normal PAYE worker gets nothing and pays for everything.


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## daltonr (9 Mar 2004)

*Re: .*



> the normal PAYE worker gets nothing and pays for everything.



Actually it doens't look like this is the case in this instance.
I have no direct experience of it, thank goodness, but there's further info here.

[broken link removed]

Obviously it's pretty easy to see a situation where someone is spending €80 a month on prescription drugs and can source the same drugs much more cheaply on line, in that case this scheme doesn't help.  But where there is a lot of extremely expensive drugs involved, I'd imagine the DPS would outweigh any online savings.

Now, if the Scheme were to allow online purchases subject to obvious controls, then everyone would be happy, because the bill to the tax payer would be much lower.  (I take that back, pharmacists in Ireland wouldn't be happy).

-Rd


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## Sean (10 Mar 2004)

*.*

You quote from the oasis site is correct rainyday.  However this does not cover this specific medication for me & my circumstances.

QUOTE: "Explain more, Sean"

I'd rather not to be honest as my reply was to the person called "medicine".


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## medicine (13 Mar 2004)

*.*

Rainyday, interested to know you source that DPS covers all.  I am prescribed medicine that I have been told is not covered under DPS.

If this is incorrect, I would be delighted not to have to buy on-line.


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## rainyday (13 Mar 2004)

*Re: .*

My source is


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## medicine (13 Mar 2004)

*.*

Rainyday

Its the "approved" that's the catch.  Many prescribed drugs for (in my case) semi-rare illnesses that are expensive because of the low volume use are not "approved" on the scheme.  In fact some drugs are "approved" for medical card users but not on DPS.

Buying on internet is not an option I would choose lightly.  Moralising on falling standards (not you Rainyday but in general) is all very well but when you have a choice between your own health/lenghtened survival and the welfare of your family, at present and after your gone there is no option.


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## getoffthepot (8 Sep 2004)

*Re:*

Compare prices on www.drugstore.com in US - same items available in Rite Aid pharmacies in US as well.

Ibuprofen 200mg 500 tabs for $12.99
www.drugstore.com/product...GFI-0-PLTS

These are the same as Nurofen - box of 24 Nurofen for €3 - €5 ??

This is only one example - why aren't there more generics available for the Irish consumer?

others
60 Lotradine allergy relief tabs for €16.99
Have you bought Zirtec here - 7 tabs for €10
www.drugstore.com/product...GFI-0-PLTS

If you know anyone going to US get them.


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## Unregistered (13 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*

Has anybody used Doc Morris and does anyone know if there is an english language version ?

Ta


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## podgerodge (18 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*

just got some drugs off the net after reading this thread.  They seem fine.  And they were cheap. And I feel perasdfsae, jaseeefff, help calll doctorrr


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## contemporary (19 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*

a colleague of mine buys all her blood pressure meds from india, they are the same as the ones she buys here old manufacturered in India rather than Switzerland she pays 1/3 of what should you would pay here


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## RainyDay (19 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*



			
				contemporary said:
			
		

> they are the same as the ones she buys here


How can she tell that they are the same?


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## contemporary (20 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*



			
				RainyDay said:
			
		

> How can she tell that they are the same?


 
The packaging is the same except the swiss ones say made in switzerland and the indian ones say made in india.

she has been using them for the past year and her doctor says her condition is as he would expect on the medication so they cant be duds


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## podgerodge (20 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*



			
				contemporary said:
			
		

> she has been using them for the past year and her doctor says her condition is as he would expect on the medication so they cant be duds



Doctor saying that would not convince me that they Can't be duds.  Some people get better on smarties.


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## contemporary (20 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*

not with blood pressure but anyway.... They were in the same novartis pacakging as the ones available OTC in dublin only with a different source of manufacture


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## Cahir (24 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*

Anyone ever bought contraceptive XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX online?  Were they the same?

The pharmacies are having serious supply problems with certain brands over the last few months which is very inconvenient but I've seen them on some of the previously mentioned websites so I'm tempted to order - don't want to end up with a little mini me if it turns out I'm popping sweets instead of XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX!


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## RainyDay (24 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*



			
				contemporary said:
			
		

> The packaging is the same except the swiss ones say made in switzerland and the indian ones say made in india.
> 
> she has been using them for the past year and her doctor says her condition is as he would expect on the medication so they cant be duds


I'd still be very concerned about this. It's possibly to buy all kind of rip-offs on the web which look very like the real thing, but aren't. So how much is she saving per month?


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## contemporary (25 May 2005)

*Re: >>Online Pharmacies?*

true but i would say this.

BP meds are meds that once you go on you never get off them. If the internet meds are duds and her condition is good, her doctor says her BP is "now perfect", then either they are acting as a placebo or she doesnt need them, which is a different debate. 

She also has a reaction if she forgets to take them even if she missed a day, as in red face and headache. This would be a common sympthom for not taking your BP meds. 

A 3 month supply of drugs from the net cost the same as one months OTC in dublin (€50 per month in Dublin)

She is happy with it so thats all I can go on tbh


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## Novice (25 May 2005)

*Re: on-line pharmacies*



			
				Laoise said:
			
		

> I've not used them personnally but www.docmorris.com are very popular in Holland & Germany
> Recently they won a court case in Germany where some pharmacy organisations wanted to prohibit them from operating, so one can be sure that they are a legitimate organisation.


 
Had a look at this website - seems to be in German - is there an English version?


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