Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Warning-on-swine-flu-web.5280123.jp
Warning on swine flu web tablets
Published Date: 19 May 2009
Residents in Lancashire are being warned of the dangers of buying medicines for swine flu over the Internet.
Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards team is warning people fake anti-viral medicines could be sold online to unsuspecting members of the public.
They say the safety, quality and suitability of products sold by unqualified suppliers cannot be guaranteed and there is a significant risk that the medicines may be counterfeit or substandard.
This could include Tamiflu and/or Relenza, anti-viral medicines which require a prescription.
In 2006 following fears over bird flu, a Lancashire man paid around ?170 for 30 capsules of Tamiflu ordered from an American online pharmacy.
The drugs were dispatched from China and turned out to be fake.
Steven Brimble, lead officer at Trading Standards, said: "I would urge the public not to buy medicines from unauthorised sources including illegal online pharmacies.
"The actual ingredients of fake drugs are unknown and should not be consumed as they could be harmful or ineffective."
If consumers have bought or offered what they suspect to be counterfeit medicines they should report the matter to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 020 7084 2701.
Warning on swine flu web tablets
Published Date: 19 May 2009
Residents in Lancashire are being warned of the dangers of buying medicines for swine flu over the Internet.
Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards team is warning people fake anti-viral medicines could be sold online to unsuspecting members of the public.
They say the safety, quality and suitability of products sold by unqualified suppliers cannot be guaranteed and there is a significant risk that the medicines may be counterfeit or substandard.
This could include Tamiflu and/or Relenza, anti-viral medicines which require a prescription.
In 2006 following fears over bird flu, a Lancashire man paid around ?170 for 30 capsules of Tamiflu ordered from an American online pharmacy.
The drugs were dispatched from China and turned out to be fake.
Steven Brimble, lead officer at Trading Standards, said: "I would urge the public not to buy medicines from unauthorised sources including illegal online pharmacies.
"The actual ingredients of fake drugs are unknown and should not be consumed as they could be harmful or ineffective."
If consumers have bought or offered what they suspect to be counterfeit medicines they should report the matter to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 020 7084 2701.