'Profit before safety' in online medicine racket

Four people have been sentenced for illegally selling prescription medicines online across the UK.

Three men and a woman were linked by investigators to almost two million doses of medicinal products, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's (MHRA) Criminal Enforcement Unit said.

The defendants, from Wolverhampton and Willenhall, "prioritised profit over patient safety" and exposed members of the public to potentially serious health risks, the agency added.

The group were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court for conspiracy to supply drugs and supplying unauthorised medicines, and prescription medicines.

The drugs the group sold on a website included Diazepam, Codeine and Zopiclone, as well as unauthorised versions of medicines and illegally supplied prescription-only medicines.

The medicines were supplied without appropriate clinical oversight or safeguards to protect patients, , the MHRA said.

The group included:

• Everton Reynolds, 59, from Wolverhampton - jailed for five years after being convicted of nine counts of conspiracy to supply drugs and four counts related to conspiracies to supply unauthorised medicines and prescription medicines

• Paul Billingham, 58, from Willenhall - jailed for four years after being convicted of nine counts of conspiracy to supply drugs and four counts related to conspiracies to supply unauthorised medicines and prescription medicines

• Junior Ranger, 45, from Wolverhampton was given a two-year jail sentence suspended for 18 months after being convicted of nine counts of conspiracy to supply drugs and four counts related to conspiracies to supply unauthorised medicines and prescription medicines

• Anita Rama, 49, from Wolverhampton, was jailed for 33 months at an earlier hearing after pleading guilty to all charges including nine counts of conspiracy to supply drugs and four counts related to conspiracies to supply unauthorised medicines and prescription medicines.

Dr Alison Cave, MHRA chief safety officer, said: "This was a sophisticated and highly profitable criminal scheme that showed a complete disregard for patient safety.

"Prescription only medicines should only be obtained with a prescription issued by a qualified healthcare professional and dispensed by a registered pharmacy.

"Criminals who sell medicines illegally put the public at risk and undermine confidence in the healthcare system."

Gayle Ramsay from the Crown Prosecution Service said:

"These four defendants showed absolute disregard for the health consequences of selling unauthorised medicines and prescription only drugs without the proper professional medical consultation and authorisation to do so.

"The defendants would have no understanding as to the safety of these medicines and the impact of using them for potential buyers."

Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.