ArticleNaunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology2025
Substantial non-compliance of online pharmacy catalogues with guidelines.
Article in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Transition to electronic prescriptions in pharmacies: Workflows, services, and access to medication - A mixed methods approach.Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Online pharmacies are popular worldwide. In Germany, there were 150 active online pharmacies in 2022. As the competition is therefore fierce and new customers need to be acquired, some of these online pharmacies create catalogues that advertise products in self-medication to attract the interest of potential customers. This study analyzed the allergy, cold, and gastrointestinal tract categories from the summer/spring 2023 catalogues of two different online pharmacies in Germany. A comparison of the active ingredients in both catalogues and an analysis of the product's conformity with the German AWMF (Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany) guidelines as well as international guidelines were carried out. In medicine, guidelines serve as evidence-based decision-making aids tools to ensure adequate patient care. The online catalogue of online pharmacy 1 showed conformity of 65% with AWMF guidelines, and the online catalogue of online pharmacy 2 showed conformity of 59% with AWMF guidelines. The online catalogue of online pharmacy 1 showed conformity of 44% with international guidelines, and the online catalogue of online pharmacy 2 showed conformity of just only 17% with international guidelines. Thus, there is a substantial lack of conformity of online pharmacy self-medication catalogues with national and international guidelines. For several indication areas including market-relevant rhinosinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome, consensus between AWMF and international guidelines was poor. The lack of evidence-based presentation of online pharmacy catalogues constitutes a risk for consumer safety. This risk must be assessed in future studies, for example by studies on intoxications caused by self-medication that is non-compliant with guidelines. Our results also underline the necessity of a stricter surveillance of the German self-medication market.
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Registered trials
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