Earlier this year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) issued advice to encourage people to act with caution when using websites that sell prescription-only medicines (POMs) through online primary care services. The CQC also issued sanctions against, or suspended operation of, several service providers that it has inspected.^1,2 CQC criticisms relate to inadequate identity checks, poor history taking, inappropriate prescriptions and lack of communication with the patient’s GP.² What is the role of these online primary medical services?

The main reasons given for the existence of online primary care services are that they offer a convenient way to …