The Minister of State at the Department of Health has warned Irish consumers of the dangers of buying what he called "powerful psychiatric drugs" such as Xanax on the internet without seeking medical advice.
Mr Tim O'Malley said the huge rise in so-called 'medical' websites and 'online pharmacies' could pose a threat to vulnerable people who may be tempted to self-diagnose and end up taking "completely inappropriate" medication.
"These websites are very good at advertising themselves by sending junk mail. They promote a range of very powerful drugs to treat different mental health conditions from depression to schizophrenia, and all are available without a prescription, no questions asked," he said.
"It is very disturbing to think that people can simply log on and purchase these drugs with a credit card without ever having visited their GP or seeking medical advice. Many of these drugs are very addictive and can have serious long-term side effects. They should only be administered in certain circumstances, and their use closely monitored."
Mr O'Malley, who is a pharmacist by profession and is responsible for the mental health portfolio, said nothing could replace one-to-one contact with a GP and he urged people to get medical advice before purchasing any of these medicines online.
Drugs such as Xanax, Prozac and Viagra and Zyban are readily available on the internet and are regularly the subject of 'spam', or unsolicited commercial email.
Supplying such drugs by 'mail order' (i.e. when the purchaser and seller are not both present for the transaction) is, apart from some exceptions, is illegal. Doctors, for example, may in some cases buy medication online or by mail order on a "named patient" basis.
Despite a common misperception that prescription drugs can be purchased online easily and legally, Customs and Excise officials regularly intercept such packages sent to Irish addresses and seek the advice of the Irish Medicines Board on the medication contained in them. It is understood that a significant percentage of such internet purchases are intercepted and not delivered to the purchaser.