Mail-order pharmacies are becoming increasingly popular, but according to Stiftung Warentest, consumers often receive inadequate advice online.
In the area of technical competence, even the three top-ranked mail-order pharmacies of the eleven test candidates only performed satisfactorily, as the Stiftung Warentest explained on Wednesday.
For example, only one mail-order pharmacy warned of an impending overdose.
A tester therefore ordered two different remedies for heartburn with the same mechanism of action from all tested pharmacies.
If both drugs are taken at the same time, there is a risk of an overdose.
According to Stiftung Warentest, only one of the pharmacies tested pointed out when ordering that the drugs could only be taken after consultation with a doctor in the same treatment period.
The pharmacies also “rarely reacted optimally” to telephone advice.
However, for consumers who know exactly which medicines they want, they can definitely save money when shopping in a mail-order pharmacy.
According to Stiftung Warentest, many of the providers advertise aggressively with discounts on over-the-counter products.