Australian online therapeutic retailers okay, says gov’t

Online purchasing of Australian therapeutic products and medicinal aids – for example natural prostate supplements or health vitamins – can be quicker and easier than purchasing in person.

Prices may be lower, bulk orders easier to organise and information can be readily available for each product with the click of your mouse.

International ordering may be a little more risky, and today the federal government reminded consumers to take care when using overseas online retailers for purchasing health products.

Catherine King, minister for health and ageing, said the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is used to regulate products available on the internet from Australian online retailers, but not from international websites.

"The TGA scrutinises therapeutic products before they can legitimately enter the Australian market, to protect Australians from potentially harmful or counterfeit remedies," she stated.

TGA investigations can ascertain whether products contain ingredients which are considered a risk to the health of Australians, if they exceeded their use-by dates, or if they are not manufactured to international standards.

Products available from local online stores have passed these TGA checks, and are considered safe and of a high quality.

Posted by Andy Rowe