Good medicine – know where to look online

Dr Fox almost unique

Very few organisations are regulated in the UK to issue prescriptions online. Dr Fox is one and we are aware of only one other.

All services carrying out consultations and issuing private prescriptions in the UK must, by law, register with the Care Quality Commission and comply with conditions known as National Minimum Standards.

Regulated services, such as Dr Fox, supply prescription medicine by linking with regulated pharmacies. Dr Fox provides the consultations and prescriptions whilst the pharmacy dispenses and posts out the medicine.

Care Quality Commission regulation ensures data and confidentiality are safeguarded. Regulation also ensures only qualified doctors carry out the consultations and that procedures are in place to maintain standards. Services registered with the CQC must be overseen by fit and proper people employing safe and ethical practices.

Why does it matter?

When a person uses a website for medical advice and to obtain medicine they need to be confident about the quality of  the website they go to. They need to be able to rely on the information the medical website provides. When a medical website is providing consultations the consultations need to be comprehensive and carried out by professionals who can be trusted.

Some medicines are dangerous and without a proper assessment it is not possible to determine if a particular medicine will suit someone.

Good websites provide reliable links to background information to allow people to find out about medical conditions and their treatment. Websites supplying prescription medicine need to highlight important information about the treatment they offer and the medicine they supply.

Wherever and whenever a person obtains prescription medicine they should know about the condition being treated and about the treatment. They need to know safety checks will be carried out before a prescription is issued and they need to know the medicine supplied is genuine.

Illegal websites

The internet is awash with unregulated and hence illegal medical websites. It is not unusual for regulated pharmacies to link up with groups of unregulated doctors. Unregulated doctors are providing prescriptions but the quality of the assessments they undertake, the information they provide and their approach to data security can be substandard.

If you suspect an online prescribing service is not registered with the Care Quality Commission when it should be you can email enquiries@cqc.org.uk to request the CQC carry out an investigation. Requests for investigations can be made anonymously.

Good medicine

Good medical practice and genuine medicine is available on the internet if you know where to look.