Several online pharmacies make Imatinib available, even without a prescription, as per a study published in the ‘Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network,’ July edition. Further, many of these online sites don’t give awareness warnings concerning Imatinib.
Imatinib is a drug used in the treatment of cancer, including certain types of blood and skin cancer. In addition, some digestive system tumors can also be treated using Imatinib.
However, the drug can cause several side effects and should never be consumed without a doctor’s prescription.
Yujjao Sun, DPharm, along with colleagues is behind this study. The team is from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. They did significant research on online pharmacies and analyzed the sites for the price, medication safety, and marketing tactics.
Most Common Side-effects
The drug can reduce the number of blood cells that allow your body to fight infections. It can also interfere with the clotting of blood. Conditions are likely, and you may end up bleeding excessively in case of a wound.
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Also, several liver problems are reported among its users. Common symptoms include lack of appetite, clay-colored stools, stomach pain, etc.
Besides, the drug also causes heart ailments in some patients. Issues with fluid retention are another common concern. As apparent, the drug is not suitable for all.Â
Around 44 online pharmacies were part of the study. It was observed that some of them offered the drug without a prescription, whereas some of the sites didn’t include necessary warnings about the possible side effects of the drug.
