As our NHS is under strain and healthcare information is more accessible than ever before, the online drugs market is thriving. A quick search reveals a whole host of independent pharmacies and private medical services offering next day delivery and all using words like ‘simple’, ‘easy’ and ‘100% discreet’.
These days access to NHS healthcare is not always easy or straightforward. However, in a world of online GPs and online pharmacies, the NHS is no longer the only option and many of these websites offer safe and reliable access to healthcare and medication for minor conditions or regular medication, delivered to your door.
The problem for patients using online services is knowing which providers are safe. For example, a search for buy diazepam UK brings up hundreds of results. Not all of these will even be based in the UK – and absolutely anyone can build a website these days.
It is therefore advisable to follow safety precautions when ordering meds online. Here are some things to consider:
1. Check The Platform
Before ordering from any oniine pharmacy service, check who owns it, what their qualifications are, where they are based and exactly what services they provide. Beware any platform that doesn’t offer this information.
Genuine providers usually provide plenty of information and won’t allow you to just order prescription meds without a consultation. This consultation is often quick and may take place online via questions on a form, or via an online video or telephone call. Reputable online providers offer an ideal way to obtain repeat medication if you run out and can’t get a timely appointment with your regular GP.
In fact, some GP services are now available as an almost entirely online service and NHS patients can register with them instead of an offline GP – and if a patient needs a referral to a consultant, even this can be done online, offering very fast access to professional advice, and they can also offer fast referrals to other online services such as counselling for a low cost.
Also, you will find most high street pharmacy chains also offer online services, as well as a host of legitimate pharmacy providers run by qualified chemists.
The only downside of this new healthcare market is anyone can claim to be anything online, so look for established platforms with good patient reviews and fast response times.
2. Customer Service and Responsiveness
If you are considering placing an order, when engaging with an online provider, assess how professional their website is and how responsive they are to any questions you may have.
If you don’t feel their answers to your questions are appropriate or tailored to your situation, then go elsewhere – there are plenty of providers to choose from and when it comes to health, you deserve to deal with a provider you trust.
3. Steer clear of medication websites that issue prescription only meds without a prescription
There are strict rules about the supply of medicines and these are in place for a reason – to protect patients and ensure that any medicines provided are safe, manufactured to exact standards and fit for purpose.
When buying prescription-only medicine online, legitimate pharmacists will either ask for a prescription from a GP or if it’s for a minor condition they will assess your symptoms in an online consultation.
You can also see an online GP, and they can send your prescription direct to the online or offline pharmacist of your choice, sometimes even within the hour, but steer clear of any online meds supplier that will send prescription meds with no prescription or consultation at all. You should never try to self-diagnose.
If you can’t just order any medicine you like, it’s probably a legitimate provider.
If you can only find a website on the dark web, and they have no reviews or don’t seem transparent, give them a very wide berth and order elsewhere – you can’t mess with your health.
Conclusion
In a time of crisis, when our traditional services are stretched to the limit and access to non-urgent healthcare is challenging, the new online healthcare market is filling a gap for non-urgent treatment and helping relieve some of the burden on the NHS.
Even if the NHS resolves some of the challenges, legitimate online healthcare will continue to offer a complementary service and offers more choice for patients.
However for urgent, serious or life-threatening conditions, it goes without saying that your first port of call should be your GP, ambulance service or NHS Direct.