People peddling "highly addictive" prescription drugs on social media are not only breaking the law, but are opening buyers up to "enormous dangers", a Rotorua GP says.
Some Facebook users are continuing to offer to sell drugs, including prescription-only medication, across the city's buy, swap and sell pages, despite twoRotorua men being arrested in September for allegedly selling cannabis online.
Rotorua GP Harry Pert said the practice of selling prescription drugs was "very illegal and enormously dangerous".
"The dangers from a buyer's point of view are threefold. Firstly you have no idea what you are buying or where it has come from, secondly there is a huge market of counterfeit drugs, and thirdly the buyer has no real idea of dosage or frequency of dosage.
"All these factors can cause great harm to a person and it is very important people understand the risks involved and report anyone trying to sell prescription drugs to the police."
Dr Pert said one of the prescription drugs being sold on social media, Meslon SR, was a type of morphine opiate.
"Taking that type of medicine unprescribed is a dangerous practice and one that is very concerning.
"When you get prescription medication from a pharmacy you know it's going to be safe. If you buy it from somebody you don't know, you cannot know for sure what you are taking is what the label says it is."
