§ Clive EffordTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to prevent the advertising and selling of drugs via the internet that are only available in the UK with a general practitioner's prescription. [183492]
§ Ms Rosie WintertonThe responsibility for regulating medicines on the United Kingdom market lies with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), an executive agency of the Department. The MHRA takes the view that internet and mail order sale and supply of medicines is acceptable, provided the legislative requirements are met. There are perfectly legitimate internet-based dispensing pharmacies, where patients can sign their prescriptions and post them to the pharmacist to be filled. Medicines are then sent back to the patient by post. The law allows for this.
The MHRA is also responsible for the enforcement of these requirements and any website brought to its attention for breaching regulations regarding advertising, sale and supply of medicines will be investigated. Such sites will be contacted, initially in order to seek compliance and although the MHRA has no powers to force closures of websites, it seeks to achieve compliance through internet service providers (ISPs), which are advised on UK law.
The MHRA recognises that, in order to deal with the risks posed by the internet, it is impossible to act unilaterally. To this end, the MHRA's enforcement group works closely with other Government Departments and law enforcement authorities, both in the European Community and elsewhere, in an effort to address possible courses of action.