One in four Germans has already ordered medication on the Internet

A quarter of Germans have already ordered medication on the Internet
More and more people in Germany order medication online. This is more convenient for many than going to the pharmacy, sometimes drugs from the net are also cheaper. According to a recent survey, in particular drugs are bought on the Internet, "which are associated with a sense of shame".

Order medication conveniently on the Internet
More and more Germans are ordering drugs online. For many, this is the more convenient option. Both prescription and non-prescription medicines can be ordered and paid cashless regardless of time and place on the Internet. In addition, over-the-counter medicines are often much cheaper on the net because of lower fixed costs than in the presence pharmacy. The funds are usually delivered to the desired address within a few days. Meanwhile, some online pharmacies also rely on expert advice - by phone, e-mail or live chat. How popular the purchase of drugs on the Internet is, shows a recent survey.

According to a recent survey, a quarter of Germans have already ordered medication on the Internet. In some online pharmacies, customers can get live advice. (Image: Andrey Burmakin / fotolia.com)

Fear of counterfeit medicines
According to a report in the news magazine "Focus", a quarter of Germans have ordered drugs online, including a quarter of them from a foreign address. Furthermore, 15 percent of German pharmacists say they have been asked by customers before to ask whether a drug purchased on the way is a fake or not. These are the results of a representative survey in Hessen and a nationwide pharmacist survey conducted by the criminologist Karl Hans Liebl of the Saxon Police University. The concern is understandable. For example, in the past, there had been more frequent warnings that the risk of receiving counterfeit medicines was high, especially with online orders.

"Preparations associated with a sense of shame"
Liebl explained in the Focus: "Preferably, people on the Internet buy products that are associated with a sense of shame." These included, for example, sexual enhancers or anti-depressants. However, according to the criminologist's experience, "well over 95 percent of anti-depressants available from unauthorized sellers are counterfeits". Even with the erection aid caution is appropriate: For example, the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) warned recently against a counterfeit power from Greece. According to the magazine, Liebl can give no one hundred percent sure evidence that it is an Internet address to a reputable mail order pharmacy. He recommends: "Look for an imprint, and if there is one, an address in Germany or an EU country is at least a little reassuring." Experts have in the past pointed out that reputable online pharmacies sell drugs only for prescription if they are prescription. (Ad)