How can you spot a dubious online pharmacy?

Counterfeit drugs and the trade in illegal medicines are growing exponentially, particularly with the development of online commerce. In this context, knowing how to recognize a dubious site is essential to avoid disappointment and protect your health from the risks of consuming medicines that do not meet the quality criteria imposed on the pharmaceutical industry.

Let's check that our site meets these criteria https://pharmacie-express24.com/ ou « Cheap online pharmacy to buy Viagra and Cialis in France ».

What clues are there to cast doubt on this online pharmacy?

Certain elements of the online pharmacy site should alert the consumer and strongly suggest that the online pharmacy is dubious:

• The pharmacy's presentation text should warn you.
• The site only sells products for erectile dysfunction!
• The site offers Kamagra in its catalog, but this product does not benefit from an AMM (Autorisation de Mise sur le Marché) on the French market.
• The drugs offered are subject to prescription.
• No information or authorization for cookie management, in illegality with European GDPR regulations.

What are the legal requirements for assessing the legality of an online pharmacy?

Because of their therapeutic effects and side effects, selling drugs online is not a trivial matter. Current legislation imposes strict regulations on this type of business.

Here are the essential elements to check to confirm that the pharmacy is not dubious:

• Company name of pharmacy: None. It is mandatory for an online pharmacy to be attached to a physical pharmacy, which must be clearly identified.
• Names of pharmacist(s) responsible for the site: None. Presentation of 3 doctors for prescriptions: Dr. Catherine Solano (Dr Catherine Solano - Site officiel), Gianpaolo Furgiuele (Sexologue Nice I Gianpaolo Furgiuele I Psychanalyste Nice) and Dr. Richard Pierre Gaston (Richard Pierre GASTON - Groupe Urologie Saint Augustin) which do exist, but don't seem to have anything to do with the online pharmacy... The photos on the website are a good match for these doctors. A fine example of identity theft, punishable by one year's imprisonment and a €15,000 fine!
• Pharmacy address: 2 Imp. du Pot de Fer, 77144 Montévrain, France. This physical address does not correspond to any physical pharmacy Île-de-France - Google Maps
• Email address: None, only a contact form
• Phone number: None
• Company name and contact details of the website host approved by the French Ministry of Health: No legal notice, no GCS/CGU (General Terms and Conditions of Sale / General Terms and Conditions of Use) and no information on the website host.
• Name and address of the relevant regional health agency (ARS): None.
• Contact details for the Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament et des produits de santé (ANSM): None.
• RPPS number of pharmacist(s): None. This is a unique identifier assigned to each healthcare professional in France. It can be checked on the official list of RPPS numbers available at Répertoire RPPS | e-santé.
• Pharmacy license number: None.
• Individual VAT identification number: None.
• APE code (4773 Z for "Retail sale of pharmaceutical products in specialized stores"): None.
• Company registration number and share capital: None.
• SIRET number: None. SIRET stands for Système d'Identification du Répertoire des Etablissements, a unique number assigned by the Institut National de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE) when a company is registered in the SIRENE (national register). The SIRET number is made up of 14 digits, the first 9 of which correspond to the company's SIREN number.

Report on investigations into online pharmacy

Absolutely avoid ... This site is the perfect example of compliance with French legislation on online pharmacies and online drug trading. It doesn't tick any of the boxes, and blatantly contravenes current legislation.

In addition to consuming counterfeit or illegal medicines, there are considerable risks in terms of IT security. In fact, neither users' personal data nor bank details (credit card number and cryptogram) are protected. People who order drugs on this site run the risk of having their bank account hacked.

Photo credit Bermix Studio on Unsplash