Warning over buying medicines from online pharmacies – after man dies because website prescribed too many sedatives
A coroner has sounded the alarm over fake online pharmacies after a man died of an accidental overdose from medication he bought off a site that appeared to be legitimate.
Christopher Brazil, from Ceredigion in west Wales, had suffered an accident ‘some time before his death’ leaving him with a painful injury.
The 45-year-old also had sciatica — a painful condition caused by an irritated nerve — as well as depression, and had previously visited his GP for help with the problems.
But Mr Brazil ordered additional drugs online, including sedative medication benzodiazepines, to help his injury and fluctuating mental health.
He was able to buy these from illegal websites that depicted themselves as ‘safe, regulated, online pharmacies’, coroner Louisa Corcoran concluded.
In August 2022, just months after he began taking benzodiazepines, he died of an ‘inadvertent overdose’ that was not prescribed by his doctor or the NHS.
Investigations by the police and the UK drugs watchdog the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) found these were bought by Mr Brazil from two unlawful providers.
In a Prevention of Future Deaths report, Ms Corcoran wrote: ‘There are unregulated and unlawful websites offering prescription-only medicines and controlled drugs, which look legitimate and are found easily from simple online searches.
Mr Brazil ordered additional drugs online, including sedative medication benzodiazepines, to self-medicate his injury and fluctuating mental health
In August 2022, just months after he began taking benzodiazepines (pictured: stock image), he died of an ‘inadvertent overdose’ that was not prescribed by his doctor or the NHS
‘Mr Brazil was struggling with physical pain and mental health issues and was susceptible to using this unlawful method, which was quick and readily available.
‘Evidence shows that Mr Brazil was not suicidal, but he was anxious to manage pain and was not directed by a healthcare professional as to how much to take and when.’
Health leaders have long warned that spurious online ‘pharmacies’ are targeting vulnerable patients whose medicines may either be in short supply or require medication quickly.
Last year, experts said they were aware of fake versions of medications including Ozempic and ADHD drugs being sold online, and there was ‘no way of knowing what was really in them’.
Yet despite a number of recommendations designed to clampdown on the supply of prescription and unlicenced drugs over the internet, a lack of regulation means the potentially fatal drugs are still available.
Pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), states that legitimate online pharmacies must display the GPhC logo alongside their registration number — this can often be found on the homepage or ‘about us’ section.
People can also check if the pharmacy is legitimate by typing the registration number into GPhC’s pharmacy register on its website.
In the report, Ms Corcoran said Mr Brazil’s death raises concerns that ‘there are unregulated and unlawful websites offering prescription-only medicines and controlled drugs, which look legitimate and are found easily from simple online searches’.
Health leaders have long warned that online retailers posing as pharmacies are targeting vulnerable patients whose medicines may either be in short supply or require medication quickly
The drugs in Brazil’s last order ‘were delivered the next day via Royal Mail’, the also report said.
He was able to buy ‘prescription drugs from illicit providers on a regular basis,’ with A&E records also showing that on two separate occasions — February and April 2022 — he was ‘intoxicated on benzodiazepines’.
These websites mean ‘vulnerable and susceptible people are exposed to counterfeit or unsafe medications’, she added.
‘There is inadequate age and identity verification, potentially allowing minors to access restricted medicines and drugs’.
Such websites also have ‘insufficient or no measures’ to verify a patient’s medical history before selling the medication and there is a lack of guidance ‘to prevent incorrect self-diagnoses or misuse’.
A copy of her report was also sent to the Department of Health and Social Care, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Mr Brazil’s GP, the MHRA, as well as the police.
All organisations ‘have the power’ to ‘prevent future deaths’, Ms Corcoran warned.
It comes as an investigation last year also found that some ‘wild west’ online pharmacies were selling fatal doses of prescription-only addictive medications without adequate safety checks.
The BBC probe attempted to purchase three restricted drugs — painkillers as well as sleeping and anti-anxiety drugs — from online pharmacies.
It identified 20 that were touting at least one of the medications without appropriate checks, such as approval from a patient’s GP.
The investigation secured 1,600 prescription-only pills, including a ‘potentially fatal dose of the drug used to treat anxiety’.
Customers could also buy the medications within minutes after completing online questionnaires, which one site said was as ‘easy as ordering your groceries online’.
In 2019, health chiefs urged medics to stop dishing out benzodiazepines so freely as part of a prescribing review due to growing dependency concerns.
Benzos, including Valium, were the go-to insomnia drug for decades.
Over time, however, they have slowly fallen out of favour over addiction fears, severe withdrawal symptoms, and other problems.
UK: For help and support, call the Samaritans for free from a UK phone, completely anonymously, on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.
US: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
