It's a huge patient risk to shop online if you don't know it's from a safe source, says Health Minister Acko Ankarberg (KD).
In the best case, you get a sugar pill, in the worst case, something that harms you significantly.
The Medical Products Agency went out in September and warned about illegal sales of medicines and stated that several people had suffered serious side effects or died after using counterfeit Ozempic. It's a diabetes medicine that has also proven to be effective for weight loss.
The assignment to the Medical Products Agency includes, among other things, mapping websites that sell medicines without permission to Swedish patients. The websites are often perceived as legitimate by buyers, according to the department. The sites are in Swedish and you pay in kronor, often with the help of established payment solutions.
So far, we've mostly had information from patients and the media, now we need a thorough mapping and for the Medical Products Agency to come back with powerful measures, says Ankarberg.
In addition, the Medical Products Agency will conduct an information campaign targeting the general public and relevant authorities.
The general public needs to know that when you buy online, you must ensure that it's from someone with an approved operation, says Ankarberg.
She points out that many pharmacies conduct fully legal operations online.
