Don’t click your life away

Buying prescription drugs online can seriously damage your health and in some instances lead to death, says Rita de Brun

PHARMACY is a safe-sounding word. It conjures up images of highly-qualified professionals knowledgeably dispensing medications from pristine premises, for the common good. Fake internet pharmacies cash in on the trusted reputation of their high-street counterparts.

Of the estimated 40,000 active online pharmacies worldwide, some are legal, above board and managed by well-known corporate brands, but most are bogus and run by criminal gangs, with not a pharmacist among them.