UPDATE: UK doctors warn on Internet drug sales: 25% have treated related adverse effects

Doctors in the UK have warned of the perils of buying medicines over the Internet. One in four general practitioners polled said they had treated  patients for adverse reactions to medicines bought on-line, according to  a report from public broadcaster the BBC.

A further 8% suspected they had treated side effects of Internet-bought  drugs, according to a snapshot survey of 423 doctors carried out by GP  Magazine, a UK publication for general practitioners.

Pharmacist leaders urged the public to be aware of the risks of Internet  medicines and use bone fide sites which require a prescription. Overall,  85% of the GP respondents want on-line pharmacies to be more tightly  regulated. However, no specific ideas were presented as to how this  might be accomplished, given how easy it is for a business to register a  web site outside UK jurisdiction.