ArticlePloS one2018
A challenge for healthcare but just another opportunity for illegitimate online sellers: Dubious market of shortage oncology drugs.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed.
- Countering counterfeits: The role of nurse practitioners in the fight against substandard and falsified medicines.Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners · 2025Article
- Building an Ethical Framework for European Pharmacists in e-Pharmacies.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Article
- Perceptions, attitudes and experiences of hospital pharmacists working in the private sector regarding drug shortage in Lebanon: a national cross-sectional study.Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice · 2025Article
- Multifactor Quality and Safety Analysis of Semaglutide Products Sold by Online Sellers Without a Prescription: Market Surveillance, Content Analysis, and Product Purchase Evaluation Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2024Article
- Fair Balance of Prescription Drug Information on Legitimate and Illegitimate Online Pharmacy Websites.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Quality of dorzolamide hydrochloride and timolol maleate containing eye drops distributed online.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2023Article
- Illicit Online Pharmacies: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- News Media Coverage of the Problem of Purchasing Fake Prescription Medicines on the Internet: Thematic Analysis.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
- Reasons that lead people to buy prescription medicines on the internet: a systematic review.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Review
- Safety and risks of CBD oils purchased online: unveiling uncertain quality and vague health claims.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2023Article
- Prevalence of Poisoned Google Search Results of Erectile Dysfunction Medications Redirecting to Illegal Internet Pharmacies: Data Analysis Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2022Article
- Edible Matrix Code with Photogenic Silk Proteins.ACS central science · 2022Article
- Effect of Infodemic Regarding the Illegal Sale of Medications on the Internet: Evaluation of Demand and Online Availability of Ivermectin during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Negative Consequences of the Widespread and Inappropriate Easy Access to Purchasing Prescription Medications on the Internet.American health & drug benefits · 2021Review
- Drug Shortage: Causes, Impact, and Mitigation Strategies.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Review
- Developing a framework regarding a complex risk based methodology in the evaluation of hazards associated with medicinal products sourced via the internet.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2020Article
- Edible unclonable functions.Nature communications · 2020Article
- The need for comprehensive and multidisciplinary training in substandard and falsified medicines for pharmacists.BMJ global health · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionDrug shortages mean a challenge to healthcare systems. Exposed patients or health care providers may seek alternative resources for these products online. The purpose of our study was to analyze the online availability of oncology shortage drugs at national and at international levels in 2014 and 2016.
methodsWe tested the online accessibility of oncology shortage drugs by simulating the Internet search method of patients. Search results were evaluated according to operational, distributional, and patient safety characteristics.
resultsIn 2014 and 2016 all (100%) antineoplastic agents affected by shortages were available on the Internet without medical prescription. The number of relevant websites among search engine results has decreased from 112 to 98, while online vendors actually offering oncology shortage drugs for sale has risen from 66.1% to 80.6% within relevant websites in the two evaluated years. None of the online sellers were classified as legitimate or accredited by LegitScript and VIPPS online pharmacy verification databases.
conclusionAccording to our findings shortage oncology drugs are widely available online. To manage shortages and illegal Internet trade national and international standardized shortage reporting and information systems, regularly updated Internet pharmacy verification databases are needed. As well, institutional procurement and medication use review policies are required.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.