Due to growing concerns about people self-medicating with substances bought online without the supervision of a doctor, the Trimbos Institute is launching new research into the size of this group and why people follow this route. The Ministry of Public Health commissioned the research, NOS reports.

The Trimbos Institute previously conducted research into the online supply of medicines, but still has no clear picture of who uses them and why. “It is possible that these people did receive care from a doctor, but have disappeared from view,” Trimbos researcher Laura Smit-Rigter told the broadcaster. “But it could also be that these are people who do not trust the healthcare system.”

Minister Sophie Hermans of Public Health, who commissioned the research, hopes to find a way to guide this group back to regular healthcare. “In recent times, the Netherlands has been shaken by various reports regarding the sale of (designer) drugs and (counterfeit) medicines, and possible deaths linked to them,” she said in a letter to parliament.

Last year, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) revealed that it was investigating dozens of deaths possibly linked to medicines bought from the website Funcaps. This site and dozens like it have since been taken offline, but they often reappear under a different name or domain.

The risks involved in buying medicines from such online stores are significant, Smit-Rigter told NOS. Not only because no doctor is involved to monitor the use and effect of the substance, but also because the online drugs often don’t come from a pharmacy. “It could involve counterfeit medication. In that case, the dosage or composition of the drug can be completely different. And that can be life-threatening.”

According to the Trimbos Institute researcher, illegal medicine and designer drugs aren’t new, but the ease with which people can get their hands on them these days is alarming. “Not long ago, orders were placed via the dark web, and you had to pay with crypto. Nowadays, there are websites where you can pay with iDEAL. The packages are simply delivered to your home.”

The results of the Trimbos study are expected sometime next year.