A nationwide web-based survey of a sample of Italian community pharmacists’ perceptions and opinions about online sales of medicines and falsified drugs
Fuente:
Redalyc
Gespeichert in:
| 1. Verfasser: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Artículo científico |
| Sprache: | en |
| Veröffentlicht: |
Centro de investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmacéuticas
2019
|
| Schlagworte: | |
| Online-Zugang: | |
| Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
| _version_ | 1876463545678299136 |
|---|---|
| author | Simona Lombardo |
| author_facet | Simona Lombardo |
| contents | A nationwide web-based survey of a sample of Italian community pharmacists’ perceptions and opinions about online sales of medicines and falsified drugs Simona Lombardo Franca Marino Marco Cosentino Medicina Italy Online Internet Commerce Attitude Background: Throughout Europe, legal online pharmacies increasingly sell online drugs as well as other products such as dietary supplements. Online sale of pharmaceuticals however is closely connected to the phenomenon of drug falsification.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the opinions of a sample of Italian community pharmacists towards the sale of pharmaceuticals on the web, as well as their knowledge and experience with falsified drugs.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed by means of an online platform between October 2016 and January 2017. Collected information included: demographics, workplace and role, opinions towards the online sale of pharmaceuticals, whether the pharmacy has a website, knowledge and opinions about falsified drugs.Results: A total of 668 community pharmacists completed the questionnaire (mean age: 48.5, SD 12.4 years, 52.3% women). Favourable opinions about online sale of pharmaceuticals were expressed by 4.9% of participants for prescription drugs, 25.4% for nonprescription drugs, and 51.6% for other products. Favourable opinions occurred more often among males and owners/directors of pharmacies in comparison to females and employees, and among pharmacists working in pharmacies with websites doing e-commerce. Knowledge about falsified drugs was limited, with 24.5% of respondents failing to indicate that falsified drugs may contain less or different ingredients, 46.4% less and/or different excipients, and 72.3% ignoring that falsified drugs may be lethal. One in 3 respondents didn’t know about falsified drugs in Italy, however 51 participants had previous experience with falsified drugs and 21 provided specific information.Conclusions: Italian community pharmacists have low confidence in the online sale of pharmaceuticals, as well as alarmingly limited knowledge about falsified drugs, even if many of them reported previous experiences. Results may support targeted interventions to increase pharmacists’ knowledge about pharmaceuticals and the web, as well as concerning falsified drugs, and suggest community pharmacies as key components of integrated systems aimed at monitoring falsified drugs. 2019 artículo científico 1885-642X https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=69062649007 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/69062649007.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/movil 10.18549/PharmPract.2019.4.1593 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=690 Pharmacy Practice application/pdf Centro de investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmacéuticas Pharmacy Practice (España) Num.4 Vol.17 |
| format | Artículo científico |
| id | redalyc_69062649007 |
| institution | Redalyc |
| language | en |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Centro de investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmacéuticas |
| spellingShingle | A nationwide web-based survey of a sample of Italian community pharmacists’ perceptions and opinions about online sales of medicines and falsified drugs Simona Lombardo Medicina Italy Online Internet Commerce Attitude A nationwide web-based survey of a sample of Italian community pharmacists’ perceptions and opinions about online sales of medicines and falsified drugs Simona Lombardo Franca Marino Marco Cosentino Medicina Italy Online Internet Commerce Attitude Background: Throughout Europe, legal online pharmacies increasingly sell online drugs as well as other products such as dietary supplements. Online sale of pharmaceuticals however is closely connected to the phenomenon of drug falsification.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the opinions of a sample of Italian community pharmacists towards the sale of pharmaceuticals on the web, as well as their knowledge and experience with falsified drugs.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed by means of an online platform between October 2016 and January 2017. Collected information included: demographics, workplace and role, opinions towards the online sale of pharmaceuticals, whether the pharmacy has a website, knowledge and opinions about falsified drugs.Results: A total of 668 community pharmacists completed the questionnaire (mean age: 48.5, SD 12.4 years, 52.3% women). Favourable opinions about online sale of pharmaceuticals were expressed by 4.9% of participants for prescription drugs, 25.4% for nonprescription drugs, and 51.6% for other products. Favourable opinions occurred more often among males and owners/directors of pharmacies in comparison to females and employees, and among pharmacists working in pharmacies with websites doing e-commerce. Knowledge about falsified drugs was limited, with 24.5% of respondents failing to indicate that falsified drugs may contain less or different ingredients, 46.4% less and/or different excipients, and 72.3% ignoring that falsified drugs may be lethal. One in 3 respondents didn’t know about falsified drugs in Italy, however 51 participants had previous experience with falsified drugs and 21 provided specific information.Conclusions: Italian community pharmacists have low confidence in the online sale of pharmaceuticals, as well as alarmingly limited knowledge about falsified drugs, even if many of them reported previous experiences. Results may support targeted interventions to increase pharmacists’ knowledge about pharmaceuticals and the web, as well as concerning falsified drugs, and suggest community pharmacies as key components of integrated systems aimed at monitoring falsified drugs. 2019 artículo científico 1885-642X https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=69062649007 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/69062649007.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/movil 10.18549/PharmPract.2019.4.1593 en http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=690 Pharmacy Practice application/pdf Centro de investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmacéuticas Pharmacy Practice (España) Num.4 Vol.17 |
| title | A nationwide web-based survey of a sample of Italian community pharmacists’ perceptions and opinions about online sales of medicines and falsified drugs |
| topic | Medicina Italy Online Internet Commerce Attitude |
| url | https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=69062649007 https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/html/ https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/69062649007.epub https://www.redalyc.org/journal/690/69062649007/movil |