Patients felt ‘compelled to risk’ buying medicines from unregulated online sources

Patients who bought medicines from unregulated online sources felt ‘compelled to take the risk’ due to a lack of alternatives, a new report has found.

A project by the Patients Association found that access barriers were the primary driver of people purchasing medicines from unregulated online sources, including from websites and social media.

The charity said patients had reported long waits for GP and pharmacy appointments, difficulty accessing care, and frustration with an overstretched health system had left them ‘little choice’ but to seek medicines online.

The report also found that social media and targeted advertising strongly influenced patient behaviour.

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The report warned it was ‘critical’ that more be done to ensure patients are aware of potential risks of purchasing medicines online.

It added: ‘Patients are motivated by many factors, especially access barriers, when deciding to purchase medicines online and from unregulated sources.

‘Many patients feel desperate and without options when making this decision, others are influenced by social media pressures and targeted advertisements.

‘Regardless of the motivation driving this behaviour, many patients know the dangers but are willing to risk their health and wellbeing to access the medicines they need.’

The project involved an evidence review and two focus groups with eight participants each - 14 patients and two carers - conducted in August 2025. Lilly UK provided sponsorship funding for the project but had no influence on its development.

One focus group participant said: ‘A lot of people buying [medicines] online are doing it simply because you cannot get an appointment, or because the system lets you down in some way, and because you have to. You have to take care of yourself, and sometimes the only way to do it is to risk buying things online.’

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They also said they had lied about their age when ordering antivirals from an online pharmacy because the pharmacists had said antivirals would not be prescribed for over 70 year olds.

Other factors that compelled patients to buy medicines online included the lower cost, greater convenience, and shortages of needed medication, the report found.

The Patients Association report made four recommendations in response to the findings:

• Improve patient awareness of the risks of buying medicines from unregulated online sources;
• Provide clear guidance on how to identify legitimate and safe online pharmacies;
• Design public awareness campaigns in partnership with patients to ensure relevance, clarity and impact;

Address underlying access barriers that push patients towards unsafe alternatives. A Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) spokesperson said: ‘We strongly advise against buying and using unauthorised medicinal products, particularly those promoted on social media. Buying any medicine from illegal online suppliers significantly increases the risk of receiving falsified or unauthorised products.

‘We work closely with law enforcement partners, customs authorities, social media and online platforms to remove illegal medicines from sale, block harmful websites, disrupt payment routes, and delist offending domains from search engines.’

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The focus groups – conducted on 6 and 7 August – were held on Zoom and lasted for two-and-a-half hours. Participants were recruited from an expression of interest (EOI) survey where they answered questions about their experience purchasing medicines online and from unregulated sources.

The Patients Association reviewed 94 responses to the EOI survey and 16 of them were selected for the focus groups.