{"id":73295,"date":"2016-08-17T12:05:00","date_gmt":"2016-08-17T12:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?guid=58bcf8c8f1b430b745490b13072590e1"},"modified":"2017-09-27T10:34:07","modified_gmt":"2017-09-27T10:34:07","slug":"news-story-know-what-youre-buying","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostafa.openonline.co.uk\/?p=73295","title":{"rendered":"News story: Know what you’re buying!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated:<\/em> Change of top tips content<\/p>\n

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Medicines and medical devices are serious things. When you buy from dodgy websites or from someone not authorised to sell medicines online, this significantly increases your risk of buying a fake, which means you don\u2019t know what you\u2019re getting and you don\u2019t know what it can do to your body.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve put together these tips to help you reduce the risks to your health and money when you buy medical products online.<\/p>\n

1. Look for the distance-selling logo<\/h3>\n

All online retailers of medicines, operating legally in the EU, must display it. The most reliable way to ensure you are buying products from a registered and approved online seller of medicines is to click here<\/a> to check the approved list.<\/p>\n

2. Look for the CE mark on medical devices<\/h3>\n

A manufacturer displaying a CE mark on their medical device is saying their product complies with the essential regulatory requirements, designed to make sure products work as they\u2019re supposed to and are acceptably safe.<\/p>\n

3. \u201cNatural\u201d does not mean safe<\/h3>\n

Products that claim to be \u2018herbal\u2019 or \u2018all-natural\u2019 can actually contain chemical ingredients. Each year we seize thousands of slimming products which claim to be herbal but contain sibutramine \u2013 a medicine which was withdrawn from sale due to serious side effects including strokes and heart attacks. Similarly, there are countless \u2018herbal\u2019 erectile dysfunction medications available online that could put your health at risk.<\/p>\n

If you are unsure about the safety of a medicine claiming to be \u201cnatural\u201d or \u201cherbal\u201d you should check for a Product Licence (PL) number or Traditional Herbal Registration (THR) number<\/a> \/ the THR logo. This means the product has been assessed by MHRA for safety and has been manufactured correctly. For more information, visit NHS Choices<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. Check for secure payment options<\/h3>\n

When entering personal information, look out for a small padlock in the address bar or elsewhere in the frame of your browser (not the webpage itself). This will indicate that the information you enter will be encrypted and isn\u2019t being stolen. If the padlock symbol is not present, do not enter your information.<\/p>\n

5. Check the small print<\/h3>\n

Scam sites often encourage you to sign up, committing you to hand over your money for a \u201ctrial\u201d. In fact, you could be agreeing to a schedule of large regular payments from your account for useless or dangerous products. Read the small print carefully and know what you are signing up to.<\/p>\n

6. Be wise to gimmick marketing<\/h3>\n

Terms like \u201cdetox\u201d and \u201cfat-melting\u201d are meaningless, without any scientific or medical basis but they are the kind of words people selling dodgy slimming pills use to make you think their product will work.<\/p>\n

7. If they tell you it\u2019s safe, they might be lying<\/h3>\n

Even if the people selling you a product assures you it\u2019s safe, if it arrives with a label which reads \u201cnot for human consumption\u201d, don\u2019t take this under any circumstances. You have no way of knowing how your body is going to react \u2013 especially if the product has been designed for livestock!<\/p>\n

8. Don\u2019t self-diagnose<\/h3>\n

We know it is tempting to Google symptoms and self-diagnose but there there are many reasons why you should visit your healthcare professional if you believe you need medical treatment for something. A doctor can:<\/p>\n