Pfizer and partners step up 'Real Danger' advertising campaign

Vans operated by wholesaler Alliance Healthcare will carry advertising warning of the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated sources, in the latest phase of a consumer education drive in the UK.

Alliance Healthcare joins a campaign that is led by Pfizer and already has the support of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Patients’ Association, Men’s Health Forum and HEART UK.

All told, 100 Alliance Healthcare vans will carry the new posters for 12 months to help warn the public about the risks associated with purchasing prescription medicines online, and without the advice and support of a pharmacist or doctor.

The 'Get real, Get a Prescription' campaign first got underway in 2009 with a hard-hitting cinema advertising slot (readers with a strong stomach can still see this here).

Since then, the  has spread its message to television, roadside and washroom posters, social media campaigns and a roadshow featuring a mock counterfeit medicines factory, complete with cement mixer, harmful substances and unqualified workers.

It remains one of the most comprehensive public education programmes in the area of counterfeit and illegal medicines.

More than one in seven British adults surveyed admitted to buying medicines over the Internet and do so because they think they are getting cheaper drugs and faster delivery, according to a September 2009 YouGov survey of more than 2,000 UK adults.

Mark Stephenson, commercial healthcare director at Alliance Healthcare, said that rogue Internet pharmacies may look very professional but in fact " often supply dangerous counterfeit products which can contain no active ingredient, the wrong ingredient or even toxic substances, posing a real risk to public health."

"As a leading distributor of pharmaceutical products, to licensed pharmacies, we hope the campaign messages on the sides of our vehicles will remind people of this fact,” he added.

If consumers want to make purchases online safely, the General Pharmaceutical Council website provides links to legitimate pharmacy sites registered in the UK.