title: Is the online drugs market putting patients at risk?
abstract: A leading oncologist has warned that some patients with cancer are ordering drugs on the internet because they cannot access them in the UK. Examples include bevacizumab (Avastin) for the treatment of advanced bowel cancer, and erlotinib (Tarceva) for the treatment of lung cancer. The World Health Organization and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advise great caution about buying medicines over the internet and say it should not be done without a valid prescription. This article discusses the growth of online pharmacies, problems with regulation and the dangers of self-prescribing.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wilkinson
mesh_terms: D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D020407:Internet; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services / Q000592:standards; D006113:United Kingdom