Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36204508›Full record

ArticleMedicine access @ point of care

Evaluation of pharmacists' awareness of illegal online pharmacies and perceived impact on safe access to medicines.

John B Hertig, Shannon M James, Connor J Hummel, Matthew J Rubin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Medicine access @ point of care. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Illicit Online Pharmacies: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023
    Article
  7. Pharmacy Student Perceptions and Knowledge of Online Pharmacy Use.American journal of pharmaceutical education · 2023
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

John B HertigButler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Indianapolis, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9869-2903
Shannon M JamesCommunity Health Network, Indianapolis, IN, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2637-5498
Connor J HummelCommunity Health Network, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Matthew J RubinFaegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, Washington, DC, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6512-6611

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

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.

Indexed as

falsifiedillegal Internet drug sellersIllegal online pharmacysubstandard

Identifiers

PMID36204508
PMCPMC9413741

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.