What You Should Know About Regulations For Australian Online Pharmacies

Medicines and medical devices, which were all popularly sold over-the-counter, are now available for purchase online. Inasmuch as you want to buy through these convenient options, you have to exercise caution at all times. You, as the consumer, have to be particular with certain regulations for Australian online pharmacies.

Remember that if you do not take measures to ensure that the website you are buying from is legitimate, chances are, you will get medicines and medical devices that are either too strong or too weak and are also counterfeit. When worse comes to worst, you will also be faced with products that contain dangerous, undisclosed ingredients.

Legal requirements govern the use and importation of such products in Australia

Make sure that these medicines and medical devices have been approved for use and importation in Australia. Otherwise, there is reason for you not to order any of these herbal preparations, dietary supplements and medical devices. Along this line, you have to remember that products purchased from other countries are not approved by the Therapeutics Good Administration or TGA for consequent supply to Australia. This non-approval means that such products may not have met standards for efficacy, quality and safety.

There are requirements as to who is authorised to sell online

Operating an Australian online pharmacy is not just for anybody. There should be pharmacists helping in the dispensation of such products to consumers. Australian laws require that these professionals should at least be registered either in the territory or state where they are currently practising. Likewise, they should also be practising only in approved premises.

There are also rules governing the dispensation of certain non-prescription drugs

There are certain types of drugs that may be dispensed by the online pharmacy even when there is no prescription available. However, specific laws state that the pharmacist should always ensure that there is an existing therapeutic use for such medicine being ordered by a certain consumer. Whenever possible, the pharmacist will be required to personally hand over the medicine to the consumer or to provide guidance as to how the consumer should use such medicines or medical devices.

Stricter rules apply to prescription-only medicines

As a consumer, you are required to present an original prescription that contains the signature of an Australian-accredited doctor. Some online pharmacies will require you to hand in the physical prescription to the courier before they will give you the medicine that you have ordered. You also have the option to post the prescription to the online pharmacy upon ordering.

Filling of prescriptions may not be possible from outside the doctor's jurisdiction

In some states or territories, pharmacists are instructed not to dispense drugs unless the doctor writing the prescription is registered in that particular state or territory. This may have made filling prescriptions more difficult for online pharmacy operators. However, such a rule has to be considered for your safety as the consumer.

Some of you may find these rules governing the operation of Australian online pharmacy are quite strict but all of them have been made to give high regard to your safety. Whilst these pharmacies are expected to offer convenience when it comes to purchasing medicines and medical devices, your well being should never be sacrificed.