Quality of medication information available on retail pharmacy Web sites

Ghoshal, Malini; Walji, Muhammad F.

doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2006.05.002

Cited by 21 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Some drug articles on Wikipedia were missing references (Lavsa et al 2011) and unlike professional compendia, cited news stories as references (Koppen et al 2015). Similarly, studies of accuracy of drug information on other consumer websites found generally good content quality but incomplete topic coverage (Sidhu et al 2006; Ghoshal and Walji 2006). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder: results from an international multisite survey

Conell

Bauer

Glenn³

et al. 2016

Int J Bipolar Disord

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BackgroundInformation seeking is an important coping mechanism for dealing with chronic illness. Despite a growing number of mental health websites, there is little understanding of how patients with bipolar disorder use the Internet to seek information.MethodsA 39 question, paper-based, anonymous survey, translated into 12 languages, was completed by 1222 patients in 17 countries as a convenience sample between March 2014 and January 2016. All patients had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder from a psychiatrist. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and generalized estimating equations to account for correlated data.Results976 (81 % of 1212 valid responses) of the patients used the Internet, and of these 750 (77 %) looked for information on bipolar disorder. When looking online for information, 89 % used a computer rather than a smartphone, and 79 % started with a general search engine. The primary reasons for searching were drug side effects (51 %), to learn anonymously (43 %), and for help coping (39 %). About 1/3 rated their search skills as expert, and 2/3 as basic or intermediate. 59 % preferred a website on mental illness and 33 % preferred Wikipedia. Only 20 % read or participated in online support groups. Most patients (62 %) searched a couple times a year. Online information seeking helped about 2/3 to cope (41 % of the entire sample). About 2/3 did not discuss Internet findings with their doctor.ConclusionOnline information seeking helps many patients to cope although alternative information sources remain important. Most patients do not discuss Internet findings with their doctor, and concern remains about the quality of online information especially related to prescription drugs. Patients may not rate search skills accurately, and may not understand limitations of online privacy. More patient education about online information searching is needed and physicians should recommend a few high quality websites.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40345-016-0058-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder: results from an international multisite survey

Conell

Bauer

Glenn³

et al. 2016

Int J Bipolar Disord

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“…In current practice, pharmacist reliability over electronic resources has increased greatly. [8][9][10] This change might be due to the availability of the Internet; 33 (89.2%) of the pharmacists had Internet access at their pharmacy. Another reason behind this change might be immediate access to the relevant information, that is, adverse effects and drug interactions, which have promoted the use of online resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6 Moreover, with advances in technology, traditional resources such as textbooks 7 are being replaced with recent electronic databases and software. [8][9][10] When looking at the issue of drug information in the context of the Malaysian community pharmacy in particular, the use of tertiary resources was reported by a majority of pharmacists. 11 However, much is still not known about OTC drug information activity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drug Information Activity and Nonprescription Requests Over the Malaysian Counter

Khan

Emeka

Khan

2013

Therapeutic Innovation & Regulatory Science

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Providing drug information has become one of the essential job functions of a community pharmacist. To ensure the availability of up-to-date information, pharmacists should have access to reliable drug information. The current study was an effort to explore the use of drug information resources at a community pharmacy in Penang Island, Malaysia. This study also explores nonprescription requests, with a special emphasis on pharmacists' agreement to dispense medicines without a prescription. A cross-sectional study was performed among the community pharmacists practicing in 3 populous areas of Penang Island. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a 24-item questionnaire. The response rate was 67.3%. Online drug information, compared with other resources, was preferred by a majority of pharmacists (n ¼ 19, 51.4%). Of the pharmacists, 28 (75.7%) mentioned that patients often make a nonprescription drug request for anti-inflammatory agents, painkillers, and medicines for cough and flu. In about 59.5% of the cases, pharmacists dispensed the requested medicine without question. Most of the pharmacists stated they have dispensed painkillers, creams and ointments, antifungals, body tonics, and inhalers without prescription.

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“…As compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping experience, the online marketplace offers consumers superior convenience, ability to comparison shop for prices, and anonymity. 1 Despite their monumental growth over the last two decades, however, online pharmacies remain sparsely regulated. 2 The lack of policies and mechanisms to ensure product quality and safety is especially troubling for pharmacies operating exclusively or largely via an online presence.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criteria-based Certification and Validation of Online Pharmacies: Opportunities for Improved Quality and Safety

Ersin¹,

Naistat²

2015

Innov Pharm

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Acknowledgements:The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments that greatly contributed to improving the final version of the paper. Conflict of Interest:The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. Key words: online pharmacies; consumer behavior; regulations Abstract Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the conformity of online sites with established quality standards. Methods: Online pharmacies with the NABP Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) designation were scrutinized for their conformity with select criteria established by the National Association of Board of Pharmacies (NABP) and FDA consumer guidelines. Results: 36 VIPPS certified online pharmacy sites were included in the study. The sites were examined against VIPPS and FDA standards. The criteria related to the design and content of the web site and to the pharmaceutical services being offered through the site. Lack of clear terminological distinction between "online pharmacy" (a business) and "online site" (a tool for a business) was problematic. Sites did not adhere to uniform design principles. The scope and availability of pharmaceutical services for online consumers were not readily apparent. Conclusion:The very legitimacy of existing criteria for online pharmacies remains to be established. Significant opportunities exist to improve the quality and scope of policies and to tie them more closely to longstanding best-practices in areas such as web usability and pharmaceutical care. Revision recommendations for VIPPS criteria are discussed. IntroductionTechnology-enabled services have become the bedrock of innovative healthcare and product delivery models. Decreasing cost of technology is allowing companies to satiate growing consumer appetite for convenient, just-intime, and customized products. In this new era, the online marketplace for pharmaceutical care and pharmaceutics has proven to be particularly vast, transnational, and ever expanding. As compared to the traditional brick-and-mortar shopping experience, the online marketplace offers consumers superior convenience, ability to comparison shop for prices, and anonymity.

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Quality of medication information available on retail pharmacy Web sites

Cited by 21 publications

References 20 publications

Online information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder: results from an international multisite survey

Online information seeking by patients with bipolar disorder: results from an international multisite survey

Drug Information Activity and Nonprescription Requests Over the Malaysian Counter

Criteria-based Certification and Validation of Online Pharmacies: Opportunities for Improved Quality and Safety

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