Medical experts around the world are seriously concerned about how online procured drugs can lead to serious health problems. Instead of curing and treating health impairments, the drugs bought from the Internet pharmacies seem to do more harm to patients.

Doctor's attention was drawn by the case of a woman who has been achieving medication treatments from the online drugstores for a 4 years' period. The woman purchased the steroids from a Thailand online pharmaceutical company. Feeling that she starts to lose its eyesight, the woman went to see an optician and discovered that the online purchased steroids have severely damaged her vision, as she was found to suffer from cataracts in both eyes and glaucoma.

"Some of the drug therapies can be counterfeit and contain a concoction of compounds that bear little resemblance to the drug named on the bottle. Even if the patient receives the actual drug, there are many problems with this unchecked availability, including interactions with coexisting treatment, side effects and the lack of careful medical monitoring," warned Dr. Philip Severn and Dr. Scott Fraser, consultant ophthalmologists, in their article published in The Lancet. They called on their doctor fellows to closely watch for patients who may have bought drugs online.

The 64 years old woman said she has been buying oral steroids from the Internet because she thought she suffered from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. After diagnosing herself with the syndrome, she went on to buy online steroids on the advice of a neighbor. After becoming aware that something is wrong with her eye vision, she saw an ophthalmologist who diagnosed her with cataract and glaucoma. The doctor also observed that the old lady had no family history or personal past in eye disorder and came to the conclusion that blindness occurred as a result of steroids wrong use.

"Most patients aren't going to say if they have bought drugs over the Net. Buying drugs in this way is a gamble. Even if it is the right drug and it is not a counterfeit, because she wasn't monitored, she suffered the side effects. I am not saying doctors must be in control of all prescriptions, but with steroids, although they are life-saving drugs, patients must be monitored because of the side effects, which included diabetes, bone loss and eye problems," Dr. Scott Fraser warns.

Due to the fact that various drugs are available in Internet pharmacies, people diagnose themselves and start buying drugs without being previously auscultated by a doctor. To worsen things, many such Internet drugstores offer online prescriptions which allow patients to consult a doctor by e-mail. Even if the British Medical Association has publicly opposed to such practices, it is still legally to purchase medications from the Internet.

Most online bought drugs are the ones which guarantee to boost energy, stamina and cognitive function, medicines to improve sexual life or to help people lose weight in no time. Antidepressants are also highly ordered and purchased by people from the Internet.

"The expansion of the Internet is relentless and, from the perspective of patients seeking information, in the main positive. However, the online availability of controlled and uncontrolled drug therapies needs to be carefully monitored. If you look online it is extremely easy to get hold of anything you like. Obviously, you do not need a prescription. If you are going to access medicines on the internet you are gambling with your own health," stressed Dr. Fraser.