Consumers Turning to the Internet Pharmacy Market: Cross-Sectional Study on the Frequency and Attitudes of Hungarian Patients Purchasing Medications Online

Fittler, András; Vida, Róbert György; Káplár, Mátyás; Botz, Lajos

doi:10.2196/11115

Cited by 82 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Only 4.2% matched the regularity criteria [20]. There are over 80,000 portals/web pages which enable individuals to place medicines order through illegal pharmacies, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) [21]. The situation is grim.…”

Section: Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Emergent Business of Internet Pharmacies: Convenience, Risks, Regulatory Policies and Future

Shaikh

Buzdar

Pahore

et al. 2019

JPRI

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Healthcare is a core issue for all individuals, societies and states. There are continuous and aggressive efforts everywhere to improve healthcare conditions for people. With the rise of the World Wide Web, every sphere of life has gone through a huge revolution and so has the field of medicine. As people get more and more access to the internet, the trend to search for information related to health has also gone high. According to web data, almost 4.5% of all internet search is related to healthcare. 72% of the US and 71% of the European internet users have searched for information related to health during the past year. This is overwhelming. Mobile phone devices have further pushed this trend to new heights. But the point of caution is that internet users have started to get self-diagnosis online. Not only that, but the tendency to order medicine online has also gone up. ‘Pharmaceuticals’ is a huge part of the medicine industry. Just like any other business going online during the recent decades, the pharmacies have also gone online and against any apprehensions, they have met an overwhelming success there. There is an ever-growing number of online customers for internet pharmacies. The convenience of home delivery is always alluring and comparatively, the economical cost is an added benefit. But along this success came some serious issues forcing the authorities to enact regulations. This paper expounds on the historical development of internet pharmacies, their rapid growth during recent times, their advantages, concerns and regulatory actions to keep them under control. It also contains a bit of advice to the customers to avoid monetary and physical harm from illegal pharmacies online.

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Section: Futurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Emergent Business of Internet Pharmacies: Convenience, Risks, Regulatory Policies and Future

Shaikh

Buzdar

Pahore

et al. 2019

JPRI

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“…There are reports of web-based pharmacies that employ no restrictions on the age of consumers, where products can be bought in large quantities without a prescription and some preparations could contain hidden toxic compounds [ 16 ]. With increasing numbers of people obtaining medication and other products on the web, the risk of intentional or unintentional toxicity is potentially increased [ 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Digital Risk in Psychiatric Patients: Mixed Methods Study of Psychiatry Trainees’ Experiences, Views, and Understanding

et al. 2020

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Background The use of digital technology can help people access information and provide support for their mental health problems, but it can also expose them to risk, such as bullying or prosuicide websites. It may be important to consider internet-related risk behavior (digital risk) within a generic psychiatric risk assessment, but no studies have explored the practice or acceptability of this among psychiatrists. Objective This study aimed to explore psychiatry trainees’ experiences, views, and understanding of digital risk in psychiatry. We predicted that clinician awareness would be highest among trainees who work in child and adolescent mental health services. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of psychiatry trainees attending a UK regional trainees’ conference to investigate how they routinely assess patients’ internet use and related risk of harm and their experience and confidence in assessing these risks. We conducted focus groups to further explore trainees’ understandings and experiences of digital risk assessment. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were used to present the quantitative data. A thematic analysis was used to identify the key themes in the qualitative data set. Results The cross-sectional survey was completed by 113 out of 312 psychiatry trainees (response rate 36.2%), from a range of subspecialties and experience levels. Half of the trainees (57/113, 50.4%) reported treating patients exposed to digital risk, particularly trainees subspecializing in child and adolescent psychiatry (17/22, 77% vs 40/91, 44%;P=.02). However, 67.3% (76/113) reported not feeling competent to assess digital risk. Child and adolescent psychiatrists were more likely than others to ask patients routinely about specific digital risk domains, including reckless web-based behavior (18/20, 90% vs 54/82, 66%; P=.03), prosuicide websites (20/21, 95% vs 57/81, 70%; P=.01), and online sexual behavior (17/21, 81% vs 44/81, 54%; P=.02). Although 84.1% (95/113) of the participants reported using a proforma to record general risk assessment, only 5% (5/95) of these participants prompted an assessment of internet use. Only 9.7% (11/113) of the trainees had received digital risk training, and 73.5% (83/113) reported that they would value this. Our thematic analysis of transcripts from 3 focus groups (comprising 11 trainees) identified 2 main themes: barriers to assessment and management of digital risk, and the double-edged sword of web use. Barriers reported included the novelty and complexity of the internet, a lack of confidence and guidance in addressing internet use directly, and ongoing tension between assessment and privacy. Conclusions Although it is common for psychiatrists to encounter patients subject to digital risk, trainee psychiatrists lack competence and confidence in their assessment. Training in digital risk and the inclusion of prompts in standardized risk proformas would promote good clinical practice and prevent a potential blind spot in general risk assessment.

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“…The application of technological advances relating to the supply of medicines and the provision of pharmacy services is continuously evolving. Many of these developments have occurred in line with increasing market competition and pressures for efficiencies across healthcare systems . For example, electronic prescribing systems which allow the automation of aspects of traditional dispensing systems, such as the English Electronic Prescription Service, offer technological solutions that help to improve efficiency and convenience and can offer benefits to the health service, patients, family practice and community pharmacy .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, electronic prescribing systems which allow the automation of aspects of traditional dispensing systems, such as the English Electronic Prescription Service, offer technological solutions that help to improve efficiency and convenience and can offer benefits to the health service, patients, family practice and community pharmacy . Increasing availability of the Internet has also had a profound effect on the way patients access not only health information, but also their medicines . There has been an associated growth in the availability of Internet‐based pharmacy, including established chain and large retail pharmacies that operate online or manage online portals for mail‐order pharmacy services, brick and mortar pharmacies that have an online presence, and pharmacies that operate solely online .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There has been an associated growth in the availability of Internet‐based pharmacy, including established chain and large retail pharmacies that operate online or manage online portals for mail‐order pharmacy services, brick and mortar pharmacies that have an online presence, and pharmacies that operate solely online . Although there is some evidence from the United States to support the potential advantages of mail‐order pharmacy, much of the available literature on Internet pharmacy tends to focus on the controversies and legalities of dispensing and prescribing online or on the patient characteristics of those who purchase medications over the Internet . There seems to be a lack of evidence on the attitudes and opinions of patients, pharmacists or other health providers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Internet-based pharmacy and centralised dispensing: an exploratory mixed-methods study of the views of family practice staff

Hall

Wilkes

Sherwood

2019

International Journal of Pharmacy Practice

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Objectives Over the last decade, technological advances, market competition and increasing pressures for efficiencies across healthcare systems have resulted in changes to the processes and policies involved in medicines prescribing and dispensing. The aim of this study was to explore the views of family practice staff, including GPs, on the perceived impact of changes associated with remote dispensing and the increasing availability of distance-selling pharmacies.Methods Exploratory mixed-methods study using qualitative focus groups and an online cross-sectional survey distributed to a non-probability sample of staff from family practices across England. Survey items were developed based on existing literature and initial thematic analysis from the focus groups and adapted using cognitive interviewing techniques. Key findings Findings suggest that family practice staff believe that where and how prescriptions are dispensed impacts on their practice and patients. Frequent contact with distance-selling pharmacies is not common; however, highlighted concerns included patient safety issues and the potential threat to the loss of valued elements and sustainability of community pharmacy and dispensing practices. Identified concerns and experiences are unlikely to be routinely discussed within or between practices, limiting opportunities for shared learning and consideration of the potential impact of changes to dispensing processes and policies. Conclusions Further research is needed to confirm these exploratory findings, due to the low response rate and sample size. Findings, nevertheless, highlight how wider changes in dispensing processes may have unintended consequences on other aspects of the healthcare system.Internet has also had a profound effect on the way patients access not only health information, but also their medicines. [3] There has been an associated growth in the availability of Internet-based pharmacy, including established chain and large retail pharmacies that operate online or manage online portals for mail-order pharmacy services, brick and mortar pharmacies that have an online presence, and pharmacies that operate solely online. [6] Although there is some evidence from the United States to support the potential advantages of mail-order pharmacy, [7] much of the available literature on Internet pharmacy tends to focus on the controversies and legalities of

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Consumers Turning to the Internet Pharmacy Market: Cross-Sectional Study on the Frequency and Attitudes of Hungarian Patients Purchasing Medications Online

Cited by 82 publications

References 40 publications

The Emergent Business of Internet Pharmacies: Convenience, Risks, Regulatory Policies and Future

The Emergent Business of Internet Pharmacies: Convenience, Risks, Regulatory Policies and Future

Assessing Digital Risk in Psychiatric Patients: Mixed Methods Study of Psychiatry Trainees’ Experiences, Views, and Understanding

Internet-based pharmacy and centralised dispensing: an exploratory mixed-methods study of the views of family practice staff

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