Health. “96% of online pharmacies are illegal”: the scourge of fake drug sales sites

Ozempic, quetiapine, or Viagra: websites posing as pharmacies offer online purchases of prescription medications. This practice is prohibited but growing rapidly, much to the dismay of pharmacists who warn of the risks. "We regularly receive reports of websites selling products illegally. We file complaints, but it's very difficult to track; they close down and immediately reappear elsewhere," laments Carine Wolf-Thal, president of the National Order of Pharmacists.

Since 2013, pharmacies established in France have been able to offer online sales of medications not requiring a prescription. However, a simple online search using a molecule reveals dozens of sites impersonating pharmacies and selling prescription medications. Some may be promoted through emails, social media ads, or fake health blogs.

According to the latest report from cybersecurity group Gen, France is "the most targeted country" by these fake pharmacy sites, called "PharmaFraud," explains Michal Salàt, director of threat research at Avast, a company belonging to the group.

Worldwide, researchers have identified a network of "more than 5,000 fake sites selling treatments" and more than "151,000 PharmaFraud attacks have been blocked" by Avast since January in France, he adds. According to the expert, "the strong adoption of e-commerce in the healthcare sector" as well as "occasional difficulties in drug supply" make France "fertile ground" for this type of scam.

For its part, the Cybermalveillance.gouv.fr platform also indicates that it has identified since last year "a significant number of registrations of suspicious domain names with the term 'pharmacy'." "It's dramatic. There is a huge amount of drug fraud; it's difficult to quantify, but it's very dangerous," comments Pierre-Olivier Variot, president of the Union of Pharmacists' Unions (USPO).

According to the Institute for Anti-Counterfeit Medicines Research, 96% of online pharmacies are illegal; while the World Health Organization estimates that half of the medications sold online are counterfeit. While some fake sites simply steal buyers' personal, medical, or banking information, others actually deliver counterfeit or unregulated medications.

These fake tablets may contain the correct ingredients but in an incorrect and particularly high dosage, a different active ingredient, or even no active ingredient at all. Some are even contaminated with toxic additives, including heavy metals or unknown chemicals.

And no product is spared. Treatments for erectile dysfunction (Viagra, Cialis) have been the most popular for several years, but certain anti-diabetics like Ozempic—very popular on social media for weight loss—are also popular. "People may want to avoid going to a doctor, then a pharmacist, who could refuse to dispense them if they suspect misuse," regrets Ms. Wolf-Thal.

Today, supply shortages—like those experienced since January for several psychiatric medications like quetiapine and sertraline—can also attract patients. "Some people are so anxious about not having their medication that they try to find every possible solution, even if it means adopting behaviors that seem completely absurd," regrets Pierre-Olivier Variot.

While some players would like to simplify the online sale of non-prescription medications, the pharmacist is calling on the State to "take a hard line." Similarly, the National Order of Pharmacists questions the "usefulness" of e-commerce when the network of pharmacies allows one to obtain "medication quickly with the advice of a pharmacist."

The profession is nevertheless preparing to launch the "My Pharmacy in France" website in October. "A portal, not a marketplace," insists Pierre-Olivier Variot. "It's not about looking for a medication and seeing where to get it, but about virtually walking into your pharmacy and making a request as if you were physically there," he explains. Nearly a thousand pharmacies already have online sales sites, according to the Order of Pharmacists.