Online pharmacies dispensing antibiotics like sweeties says BDA
- Details
- Published: Tuesday, 18 October 2016 06:51
- Written by News Editor
- Hits: 2938
The BDA has said prescribing antibiotics without ever seeing patients in a face-to-face consultation is indefensible, following a BBC investigation revealing a boom in online pharmacies selling antibiotics like “sweeties”. The Association joined leading medical organisations to express concern that antibiotics are being prescribed to patients online often with no medical checks, and against NICE guidelines.
Although the World Health Organization has identified antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as a serious threat to public health worldwide, the investigation highlighted how easy it is to get antibiotics online and the difficulty of regulating online providers. The journalist/GP investigating, Faye Kirkland, posed as a 16-year-old girl, who was able to get three different antibiotics for three different conditions, including a 'dental' problem, all within 24 hours. These were all from the same site and prescribed by the same doctor and, as far as the doctor was concerned, for the same patient.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live Lord Jim O’Neill who carried out a government review into AMR, warned that if effective controls are not put in place to curb inappropriate prescribing, diseases which are resistant to antibiotics will overtake cancer as the leading cause of death. In the absence of such controls, he predicts that 10 million people will die annually around the world by 2050.
The General Medical Council has launched an investigation into the programme's findings, while the Care Quality Commission says it is looking into bringing in new rules next year to regulate online pharmacies.
Commenting on the investigation, BDA scientific adviser, Professor Damien Walmsley, said: “This BBC investigation highlights an urgent need to raise public awareness of AMR, and the importance of seeing a dentist if people are concerned they might have a dental infection, rather than going online for antibiotics. Patients may be surprised to learn that antibiotics won’t cure their dental abscesses and analgesia is more often the treatment of choice for tooth-related pain. It doesn’t help that some online pharmacies are dishing out antibiotics like smarties for dental problems, which sends out completely the wrong message to patients. As dentistry accounts for around 10 per cent of antibiotics prescribed in the UK, the BDA has been in the forefront of ensuring that dentists are aware of the need to prescribe antibiotics judiciously.”
You need to be logged in to leave comments.
Report