MALAYSIANS are putting themselves at grave risk by purchasing medicine online, said the Pharmaceutical Association of Malaysia, adding that the Health Ministry should step in and curb this before the problem escalates.

Its executive director, Ewe Kheng Huat, told The Malaysian Insight that the group is fighting an uphill battle against fake medicine sold online.

“There is no guarantee what consumers purchase are not fakes or similar to what the doctor prescribed,” Ewe said.

“While the sale of fake medicine online has not reached a worrying point, it is a bigger problem than many Malaysians think.”

Most online buyers are simply taken in by the guarantees offered by the suppliers, most of the time telling consumers that the medicine is imported, he said.

What attracts Malaysians to these online purchases is the ease with which the medicine can be obtained and the cost, which is normally much cheaper than buying them over the counter, he said.

While the group’s joint effort with the government to fight the sale of fake medicine over the counter is successful, its online drive has hit a wall.

“We’re helpless. The online merchants just won’t cooperate and there are no laws to force them to do so,” another source told The Malaysian Insight.

In a survey carried out by the association last year, only three members found that there were counterfeits of their products in the market, which Ewe said was a testament to the success of its offline campaign.

“It’s a different story for online sales though.”

In what is believed to be a RM2 million business, online merchants are thumbing their noses at attempts to rein them in.

“There’s no control but the ministry has already started working on several measures.”

He said enforcement is practically nil and pharmaceutical companies have no power to stop the unethical business that could affect their reputation.

Online stores detected by the authorities can simply change their URL (web address) and continue business as usual.

“Many of the fake medicines look similar to the genuine ones,” Ewe said.

“But that is as far as it goes. There’s no telling what the active ingredients are and other properties of these medicines sold online.

“Therefore, we are worried about these medicines.”

Under the law, those who dispense medications – doctors and pharmacists – need to be licensed as required under Section 18 of the Poison Act 1952.

“Are online merchants licensed, too?” he asked.

Ewe said as the Health Ministry draws up a plan to crack down on online sales and identify online retailers and websites, his advice to consumers is to be cautious.

“They can’t just take in what is being advertised. They need to ask themselves if they can seek legal recourse if there are negative reactions to the drug or medicine.”

He added that it is safer, even if it’s inconvenient at times, to purchase what they want over the counter. – January 15, 2019.