Documenting the Quality of Medications Purchased Online: A Public Health Issue

Buying medications online has become second nature for millions of consumers looking for low prices or greater availability. Yet behind the ease of a single click lies an alarming reality: customs seizures represent only the tip of the iceberg. The vast majority of products circulating through illegal platforms evade inspection and end up directly in patients’ medicine cabinets.

The Invisible Reality: Risks to Your Health

The lack of regulation on these sites turns every purchase into a dangerous gamble. Laboratory analyses regularly reveal serious irregularities that directly threaten consumers' physical well-being:

Absence or insufficient dosage of the active ingredient: The medication is ineffective. In the case of antibiotics or long-term treatments, this leads to a worsening of the condition and promotes antibiotic resistance.

Replacement of the active ingredient: The product contains a completely different substance, which may be inactive or dangerous.

Toxic impurities: Synthetic residues from rudimentary manufacturing processes contaminate the tablets.

Presence of adulterants and toxic excipients: To mimic the appearance of a medication, traffickers sometimes use substances such as chalk, paint, boric acid, or even antifreeze.

The Urgency of Documenting the Quality of Medications Purchased Online

Faced with this threat, health authorities cannot act alone. It is important to better document the quality of medications purchased online in order to map the extent of the trafficking and identify high-risk areas. This is where citizens become key players in ensuring public health safety.

By participating in the collection of real-world data, you are helping experts understand which products, platforms, and types of counterfeit goods are currently circulating in the region.

The "Check My Med" Campaign: Citizen Science in the Service of the Public

To address this need for transparency and safety, Pharmanalyse is launching Check My Med, a groundbreaking citizen science initiative.

What is "Check My Med"?

It is a platform where citizens who have purchased medications online can have their products tested by our laboratory.

How can I participate?

Submission: You send a sample of your online purchase to Pharmanalyse.

State-of-the-art analysis: Our experts conduct rigorous tests (chromatography, spectrometry) to verify the product's actual composition.

Contribution to science: Your data helps expand a global knowledge base on the risks associated with online commerce, while providing you with personalized information about the quality of your medication.

Play an Active Role in Drug Safety

Don't let doubt set in. If you've made an online purchase, documenting the quality of your medications is the best way to protect yourself and help identify illicit networks. Citizen science is our best defense against the proliferation of counterfeit health products.

Do you have concerns about a medication you bought online? Join the Check My Med initiative and help us document the online pharmacy market. Send your samples for analysis through our dedicated portal.