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Case/Article Review 12
You have two minutes to read the enclosed article, and you will subsequently be asked a range of questions by the interviewer. You may wish to make notes, however please note you will not be allowed to refer to your notes or the article during the discussion.
England's healthcare regulator is calling for a change in the law to protect patients using online doctor sites selling prescription-only drugs. It comes after a BBC Panorama investigation exposed safety concerns relating to websites using doctors from companies based outside England. The Care Quality Commission said these websites could be "dangerous". Currently, it can only inspect websites employing doctors contracted by companies in England.
Former doctor Julian Eden set up the UK's first online doctor service called E-Med nearly 20 years ago. In 2009 he was struck off after prescribing through the service to a 16-year-old boy and a woman who became addicted to prescription drugs. Five years later, together with his now wife, he set up another company called EuroRX, a doctor hire company based in Romania. Mr Eden can no longer prescribe drugs, but the doctors contracted by his Romanian company can.
Eleanor, who was treated for anorexia when she was a teenager and is completely well now, was able to order three months' worth of prescription slimming pills from one online doctor site. She filled in a questionnaire giving a false medical history and was asked to pay for the drugs via another Romanian company before her answers were reviewed by a doctor.
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45084555)
Outline the main issues raised.
England's healthcare regulator is calling for a change in the law to protect patients using online doctor sites selling prescription-only drugs. It comes after a BBC Panorama investigation exposed safety concerns relating to websites using doctors from companies based outside England. The Care Quality Commission said these websites could be "dangerous". Currently, it can only inspect websites employing doctors contracted by companies in England.
Former doctor Julian Eden set up the UK's first online doctor service called E-Med nearly 20 years ago. In 2009 he was struck off after prescribing through the service to a 16-year-old boy and a woman who became addicted to prescription drugs. Five years later, together with his now wife, he set up another company called EuroRX, a doctor hire company based in Romania. Mr Eden can no longer prescribe drugs, but the doctors contracted by his Romanian company can.
Eleanor, who was treated for anorexia when she was a teenager and is completely well now, was able to order three months' worth of prescription slimming pills from one online doctor site. She filled in a questionnaire giving a false medical history and was asked to pay for the drugs via another Romanian company before her answers were reviewed by a doctor.
(Adapted from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45084555)
Outline the main issues raised.
Average Candidate Response
This article highlights the growing problem that the online black market for medication poses to patients and healthcare professionals. The risks to patients include poor quality unregulated medication.
This article highlights the growing problem that the online black market for medication poses to patients and healthcare professionals. The risks to patients include poor quality unregulated medication.
Excellent Candidate Response
This article explores the issue of prescription drugs being sold to patients online, without there being a safe and secure way of ensuring that the correct quality and quantity of medication is provided.
Many questions have been raised about whether medication should be available online; one benefit is that patients would have access to treatment that may be otherwise unattainable. It could be argued that withholding certain drugs may breach patients’ autonomy, as they would no longer have the power to determine what course of treatment they wish to take.
Nonetheless, there are many risks involved in the selling of prescription drugs online. As much of this medication is not being delivered by a trusted company, there may be adverse effects that have not been tested and mitigated properly, causing potential harm to patients. As well as this, there is no limit on how much medication an individual can purchase. Due to these transactions taking place online and not in person, a patient could buy countless amounts of prescription drugs. This could lead to addiction to this medication, having fatal consequences and inducing a possible overdose, causing further trauma to the patient, family and friends.
This article explores the issue of prescription drugs being sold to patients online, without there being a safe and secure way of ensuring that the correct quality and quantity of medication is provided.
Many questions have been raised about whether medication should be available online; one benefit is that patients would have access to treatment that may be otherwise unattainable. It could be argued that withholding certain drugs may breach patients’ autonomy, as they would no longer have the power to determine what course of treatment they wish to take.
Nonetheless, there are many risks involved in the selling of prescription drugs online. As much of this medication is not being delivered by a trusted company, there may be adverse effects that have not been tested and mitigated properly, causing potential harm to patients. As well as this, there is no limit on how much medication an individual can purchase. Due to these transactions taking place online and not in person, a patient could buy countless amounts of prescription drugs. This could lead to addiction to this medication, having fatal consequences and inducing a possible overdose, causing further trauma to the patient, family and friends.