Buying Medicine on Social Media in Estonia Led to Severe Poisoning
An official at Estonia's Agency of Medicines warns that buying drugs from private sellers on social media can cause severe poisoning. One buyer ended up in hospital after using an injectable solution intended for animals.
Buying medicines from private sellers on social media can lead to severe poisoning, warned Evelin Saar, a specialist in the supervision department of Estonia's Agency of Medicines. She spoke on the programme Terevisioon on ETV, Estonia's public broadcaster, and ERR radio news reported her comments on Monday.
According to Saar, medicines may be sold online only by legal internet pharmacies. Selling them through social networks and marketplaces is illegal, and neither the storage conditions nor the safety of the products can be verified. Advertisements offering medicines appear regularly, and the agency receives reports about such cases every day.
Packaging is no guarantee of safety
Even if the packaging is unopened and the expiry date has not passed, that does not guarantee a drug is safe, because it is unknown whether storage requirements were observed. Sellers may assure buyers of the medicine's quality, but such claims cannot be checked.
Case involving an animal medicine
Saar described one case in which people were offered an injectable solution meant for animals on social media. One buyer used the product and was later admitted to hospital with severe poisoning.
The specialist said the agency contacts sellers of illegal medicines and explains that such trade is prohibited and may endanger health.
Earlier, Rus.ERR, the Russian-language ERR portal, reported that the Agency of Medicines launched an information campaign on 19 October to warn residents about the risks of buying medicines online.
