Evaluation of pharmacists' awareness of illegal online pharmacies and perceived impact on safe access to medicines.
| Autor: | Hertig JB; Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Indianapolis, IN, USA., James SM; Community Health Network, Indianapolis, IN, USA., Hummel CJ; Community Health Network, Indianapolis, IN, USA., Rubin MJ; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Washington, DC, USA. |
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| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Zdroj: | Medicine access @ point of care [Med Access Point Care] 2021 Apr 18; Vol. 5, pp. 23992026211005642. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Apr 18 (Print Publication: 2021). |
| DOI: | 10.1177/23992026211005642 |
| Abstrakt: | Background: An estimated 95% of all online pharmacies operate unlawfully. Illegal online pharmacies distribute substandard and falsified medical products that may result in patient harm and suboptimal treatment, leading to an overall mistrust of medications, healthcare providers, and health systems. As medication experts, pharmacists are trusted to guide patients in selection of safe and effective medication therapy. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine gaps in knowledge and recognition of the negative clinical and safety impacts associated with illegal Internet pharmacies by licensed pharmacists. Methods: A 37-question electronic survey was developed and distributed to pharmacists across the United States by email via a database from the American Pharmacists Association. Descriptive statistics was utilized to analyze data. Results: A total of 347 pharmacists from across the United States responded to at least one question in the survey. In all, 58% of pharmacists reported a lack of confidence in their ability to counsel patients on the identification of illegal pharmacy websites. Fewer than 60% of pharmacists were able to accurately identify the legitimacy of a webpage based on visual characteristics. In addition, 75% of pharmacists reported being unfamiliar with resources available to help consumers identify safe and legitimate online pharmacies. Conclusion: Integration of the topic into pharmacy education curricula, training on available resources, and additional research into the prevalence and impact of illegal pharmacy websites are necessary to ensure that pharmacists and other healthcare professionals are adequately prepared to protect their communities from the threat of illegal online pharmacies. Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. (© The Author(s) 2021.) |
| Databáze: | MEDLINE |
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