Words Laura Potter. Photographs iStock
With the average wait to see a GP reaching 13 days, online docs have boomed. From Skype consultations to apps to online questionnaires, we’re getting speedy service without germy waiting rooms, but research has uncovered teething problems. A UK study found private online GP services are prescribing antibiotics and opioids too readily. A worrying 43 per cent of online health services are failing to communicate with GPs and doling out painkillers that could be addictive. It’s better than the 86 per cent last year, but there’s still work to be done. Researchers worry when we pay for services, our expectation is to be prescribed something, but it could lead to a US-style opioid crisis. On the plus side, they were considered ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’, and prescribing problems aren’t only online. Public Health England found antibiotics were prescribed for eight in 10 people with bronchitis, when only 13 per cent needed them, and nearly two-thirds with sore throats, when only 13 per cent needed them. Plus, opioids are being dished out online for back pain, where they’re unlikely to help. So if you’ve a cough, cold or pain, do your research before expecting a pill prescription.