An increasing number of people are buying prescription drugs online in the hope that they will save money.
Dr. Ruairi Hanley is adamant that this is "a very bad idea."
"Some of the stuff you buy online is literally junk. You don't know who you're getting them from or who is making them, so it's a very dangerous area."
It's not just the medications themselves that are risky - it can also be the doctors people turn to for help, as Ruairi explains.
"People buying their own medication online are also diagnosing themselves on the basis of Google research. The other issue is doctors practicing online. I would have reservations about that as well."
"If you can't do a physical examination of somebody, how can you accurately diagnose their illness?"
"There are risks that you might be misdiagnosed or that you might get the wrong medication."
With over-subscription of antibiotics already a huge problem in Ireland, Ruairi feels it could be made worse by patients going online to get them when they may not be needed.
"The sad reality is that a certain degree of it is patient demand and expectation, and entitlement to an antibiotic."
