The Fifty-first World Health Assembly requested the Director-General of WHO to develop a guide on medical products and the Internet. The guide was intended to serve as a model for Member States to adapt into locally meaningful advice for Internet users in order to help them to obtain reliable, independent and comparable information on medicinal products. The guide in this booklet has been prepared to meet the Health Assembly request. It has been developed in consultation with drug regulatory authorities, drug information experts, consumer organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry. It is a model guide, designed to be translated into national languages and modified as the local situation may require.WHO would be grateful to receive any comments on experience gained from the practical use of the guide which would help in developing it further.

If used properly, the Internet allows quick and easy access to health information. It provides useful information on such topics as diseases, conditions, therapies, medical products, and health and medical organizations and institutions. The information you obtain from the Internet can be helpful when you consult your doctor or other health care provider about your disease or condition. But the guidance from the Internet should not replace consultation with your health care provider. Although it is often difficult to determine, you still need to verify the source of information available on the Internet. Information that sounds too good to be true, in particular, requires verification and careful assessment.Be cautious about buying medical products via the Internet.In many countries, selling or buying medical products via the Internet may at present be an illegal activity. You are strongly advised to obtain your medical products through legitimate distribution channels such as pharmacies.