Study from London’s Imperial College suggests need for tighter restrictions on online drug procurement

Orange County, CA - February 21th 2017 - Antibiotic resistance occurs when a microorganism, such as bacteria, is able to resist the effects of an antibiotic. This occurs when the bacteria modifies its structure to reduce the potency of the antibiotic after withstanding the initial encounter. If re-exposed to the medication, the effects are less efficient and with this resistance formed the bacteria will continue to grow and multiply with the ability to pass on its genes. Considered a global health concern, antimicrobial resistance research is constantly being undertaken to discover how to reduce the parlous effects.

In an attempt to detect misuse, Researchers from the Imperial College London's NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance, and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust evaluated 20 online pharmacies available for UK citizens to purchase antibiotics from and uncovered startling findings. While the online pharmacies were compliant with prescription regulations, 80% of those inspected allowed patients to choose their own dosages, duration of treatment, and which antibiotic they preferred for treatment. Without physician supervision of these prescription medications, misuse is imminent, meaning the likelihood of developing an antimicrobial resistance rises.

To begin their research of the pharmaceutical industry’s online presence, the team searched term 'buy antibiotics online' on Google and Yahoo search engines. The team then assessed the top 20 pharmacies yielded from the search. The study was only a snapshot study, or observational research done over a very short period of time, hours to a couple days. While not as in-depth as a longitudinal study covering a wide expanse of time, it provides insight into the rapidly evolving online health sector.

Study from London’s Imperial College suggests need for tighter restrictions on online drug procurement

"The way patients interact with healthcare is constantly evolving, and shifts in consumer behavior mean more people are purchasing their goods online. 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," said Dr. Sara Boyd, co-author of the study and NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow in Infectious Diseases and Microbiology at Imperial.

Online medication vendors selling to UK consumers must register with both the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the General Pharmaceutical Council (or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland) by law, but the researchers found that 75% of the online pharmacies lacked evidence of the appropriate registration status lawfully required.

The pharmacies found to be illegally selling antibiotics online to patients within the UK were disclosed to the MHRA who responded accordingly. More studies will need to be completed for a full view of the misuse that will potentially emerge from the industry of online pharmaceuticals, but this subject warrants a closer look to help stop the pressing threat of a world without antibiotics.

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Study from London’s Imperial College suggests need for tighter restrictions on online drug procurement Orange County, CA – February 21th 2017 – Antibiotic resistance occurs when a microorganism, such as bacteria, is able to resist the effects of an antibiotic. This occurs when the bacteria modifies its structure to reduce the potency of the antibiotic after […]