Internet pharmacy

Prescription app firm opens centre that can dispense 500,000 scripts a month

A £1.5m drug dispensing facility, which claims it will help 15 million people in the UK living with long-term conditions manage their medicinal needs by using a smartphone app, has been opened in Liverpool.…

The public must be warned about the dangers of the online medicines free-for-all

The government needs to take action to stop prescription drugs, including opioids and slimming tablets, being obtained from online pharmacies that can avoid regulation.…

Shares in owners of Boots and LloydsPharmacy fall after Amazon buys online pharmacy

Share prices of two of the world’s largest pharmacy and healthcare firms fell after the announcement that retail internet giant Amazon has bought into the prescription drug industry.…

Opiates, antibiotics and Botox should be harder to get online, GPhC proposes

Medicines including antibiotics and opiates could become more difficult to obtain online under proposals published by the General Pharmaceutical Council.…

Online dispensing could save NHS £1.2bn, Pharmacy2U tells MPs

The internet-based Pharmacy2U has published a briefing paper for MPs and policymakers claiming that online dispensing could save the NHS up to £400m a year or £1.2bn over three years.…

Is it worth all community pharmacies having an online presence?

With multiples tackling the threat of online retailers head on, should smaller chains and independents try to compete with the big boys?…

Pharmacy concern over NHS-backed prescription app

The smartphone app Echo enables patients to order repeat prescriptions that are posted free to their home, prompting concerns that it will lead to a reduction in the number of visits to pharmacies.…

Amazonising pharmacy — reality or just a rumour?

If the headlines are to be believed, the online commerce company Amazon is setting its sights on the US pharmacy market, and entry to the UK market could follow.…

UK regulator clamps down on unsafe online medicines sites

The Care Quality Commission is warning the public to be cautious when buying medicines online after inspections highlighted significant concerns about patient safety.…

No prescription needed to obtain antibiotics from almost half of online sites, study shows

Antibiotics are illegally available without a prescription through 45% of 20 online websites, a snapshot survey of the ‘online pharmacy’ industry has found, which could undermine efforts to tackle the threat of antimicrobial resistance through antibiotic stewardship.…