Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Policy and Licensing at the Ministry of Health stated that it has been noticed the spread of buying and selling through internet without knowing the identity of both buyers or sellers. Unfortunately, such purchase operations make internet sources sell medical and healthy products such as supplements and cosmetics without knowing their substances. Some of these products are not registered neither in the UAE or internationally and are not supervised by the Ministry of Health. Additionally, the promoting companies or individuals are all outside the country are away from liability or legal prosecution.

Electronic websites that promote dangerous capsules: The Ministry of Health monitored a website that promotes for water diet capsules, ad text says, “we live outside your country but we can direct you to a specialized center that licensed by us when using our medical tablets or capsules. Due to our increasing number of customers, we can only follow up your case through our e-follow up system”.

Misleading ads have dangerous effects: Al Amiri emphasized that running after such misleading advertisements and buying medical or healthy products through the internet, blogs or social media networking have a dangerous result especially that these products and medicines are unlicensed by the ministry of health and it is difficult for us in the ministry to know the components of substances of these products, their safety or manufacturing standards. The safety of these drugs is unguaranteed and ineffective and not compatible to the international drug standards which would lead to dangerous results leading to death sometimes.

Researches and studies reveal the dangers of buying drugs through the internet Dr. Amin Al Amiri, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing, revealed that international researches and studies provided the dangers of buying drugs and products through the internet. The World Health Organization reports stated that more than 90% of the traded drugs through the internet are fake; commercial fraud is not limited to bold treatment drugs or whitening and weight loss products only but to coronary and heart, kidney failure and cancer drugs.

Drugs and pharmaceutical products that are taken without any medical prescription or doctor may cause health products and the failure of several parts of the body like kidneys, liver or negative effects on the heart and arteries muscles. All substances that are promoted for through the internet as natural and herbal products proved that they consist of chemical substances that are internationally prohibited or not based on medical evidence.

The Ministry of Health assures the safety and health of UAE society: Dr. Amin Al Amiri assured that the Ministry of health is very keen on providing healthcare for its community members in the UAE through stipulating laws and legislations that would control the registration of medical substances and pharmaceutical products as well as supplements and medical devices. The registration process undergoes strict procedures to ensure the safety of drugs and products and maintain the healthy and safety standards of the patients and community members. Therefore, the ministry calls the community members to cooperate with us in eliminating such practices and not follow such misleading drugs and products as they have very dangerous effects. Sellers do not carry any legal or moral responsibility since they are sold through the internet; competent authorities seldom reach these sellers who manage to run away with high amounts of money.