Medicines sold via internet 'may contain arsenic'

The harsh reality is that unlicensed or fake medicines, easily accessible online, can contain harmful ingredients such as arsenic.

They are often produced by people with no appropriate qualifications and can contain no pharmaceutical ingredients at all.

Some fake medicines can contain totally different ingredients to the labelled active ingredients, some of which may interact with other medications, exacerbate other ailments or simply be toxic.

Buying prescription-only medicines without a prescription has frightening consequences of which we want to make the public aware. Fake medicines can cause harm to patients, which can sometimes lead to death.