Cyberdrugs: A cross-sectional study of online pharmacies characteristics

Grazia Orizio; Peter Schulz; Serena Domenighini; Luigi Caimi; Cristina Rosati; Sara Rubinelli; Umberto Gelatti

doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckn146

Cyberdrugs: A cross-sectional study of online pharmacies characteristics

Grazia Orizio, Peter Schulz, Serena Domenighini, Luigi Caimi, Cristina Rosati, Sara Rubinelli, Umberto Gelatti

Division of Communication & Media

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

48 Scopus citations

Abstract

As e-commerce and online pharmacies (OPs) arose, the potential impact of the Internet on the world of health shifted from merely the spread of information to a real opportunity to acquire health services directly. Aim of the study was to investigate the offer of prescription drugs in OPs, analysing their characteristics, using the content analysis method. The research performed using the Google search engine led to an analysis of 118 online pharmacies. Only 51 (43.2) of them stated their precise location. Ninety-six (81.4) online pharmacies did not require a medical prescription from the customers physician. Online pharmacies rise complex issues in terms of patientdoctor relationship, consumer empowerment, drug quality, regulation and public health implications.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	375-377
Number of pages	3
Journal	European Journal of Public Health
Volume	19
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckn146
State	Published - Aug 2009

Keywords

Internet
Pharmaceutical preparations
Public health

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AU - Orizio, Grazia

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AU - Domenighini, Serena

AU - Caimi, Luigi

AU - Rosati, Cristina

AU - Rubinelli, Sara

AU - Gelatti, Umberto

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Cyberdrugs: A cross-sectional study of online pharmacies characteristics

Abstract

Keywords

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