The purpose of this article is to explain the various ways in which you can obtain prescription medicines (POMs or Prescription Only Medication) online. Essentially we are talking about two scenarios. Scenario one is where you have an existing prescription which has been issued by your regular doctor. Scenario 2 is where you do not have an existing prescription and you are seeking to obtain one without a face to face checkup. Scenario one means it is possible to order prescription medicines over the internet with a prescription, scenario two means it is possible to order prescription medicines without a prescription. Let’s take the first scenario and say you have a regular prescription for Lipitor, the anti-cholesterol treatment. Step one is to find a pharmacy that is able to accept your prescription. These days (2010), there are dozens of online pharmacies to choose from, all of whom offer a comparable service. The most important thing to check is that the pharmacy is registered with the relevant regulatory authority which in the United Kingdom is the newly formed GPC (General Pharmaceutical Council), whose regulatory powers were performed formerly by the RPSGB, the Royal Pharmaceutical Council. All GPC registered pharmacies should carry the online pharmacy kitemark or logo but probably the best tip for the wary is to give the pharmacy a quick call just to confirm they pick up the phone as much as anything else. order prescription medicines over the internet
Once you have found your pharmacy, you will normally be required to set up an account and then you will be given instructions where to send your prescription. Most pharmacies are happy to accept both NHS and private prescriptions and if it is a regular prescription, your pharmacy will be happy to set up an automatic repeat service. This is obviously a huge benefit if you live in a far flung out of the way location and there are definitely savings to be made if you have a private prescription and you shop around.
The situation is entirely different with the second scenario. In this situation, you need to find an “online clinic” sometimes also known as an “online consultation service” or an online “private prescription service” or “online doctor”. A search for any of these terms should find a reliable service. Unlike pharmacies, online consultation services do not have their own regulatory body and so it can be difficult to tell whether the service is genuine. The United Kingdom, perhaps more than any other country in the European Union, seems to have embraced the world of online prescribing and the regulatory authorities have caught up fast in terms of ensuring that the services which do exist are genuine.
There is a UK body that oversees all private medical agencies called the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In theory, an online clinic based in the UK should be registered with the CQC but there is some confusion as to whether it is a legal requirement to do so. Be that as it may, there are now at least half dozen registered clinics and you can be sure that they offer a genuine service in as far as the operators have been criminally record checked. Registration with the CQC also guarantees and that the doctors are GMC or EU registered and that there is a legitimate UK-registered pharmacy involved. With online clinics, the number of treatments available is fairly limited as there are obviously limitations as to what can be prescribed safely. Most clinics these days offer treatments for the following conditions: Erectile Dysfunction (ED); weight loss; hairloss; stop smoking; influenza; premature ejaculation; period delay; contraception; anti-malarial treatments. Pricing varies quite widely so it pays to shop around and bear in mind that you will have to pay a “prescription fee” on top of the treatment cost. This is normally bundled together in one price making it difficult to tell what you are paying for.