Healthy Skepticism Library item: 12291

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Gondim AP, Falcão CB.
[Evaluation of Brazilian online pharmacies].
Rev Saude Publica 2007 Apr; 41:(2):297-300
http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102007000200019&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en

Abstract:

The growing number of Internet users brought forth an increase in the search for Brazilian online pharmacy services. Aiming at evaluating the validity of information disseminated in these websites, a descriptive study was carried out in 18 virtual pharmacies concerning legal aspects, accessibility, sources of information and drug advertising. It was found 15 pharmacies did not have authorization of the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency; the manager pharmaceutical officer’s name could not be found in 17 of them; 17 pharmacies marketed drugs with no registration, especially herbal medicines, and did not show either information on adverse drug reactions or this agency’s alerts and health recommendations. Since health control and drug commerce in Brazilian online pharmacies have not been yet regulated by proper government agencies, these gaps found in the sites can pose risk to the users’ health.

Keywords:
Brazil Commerce/legislation & jurisprudence Commerce/methods* Commerce/standards Drug Information Services/standards* Humans Internet* Pharmaceutical Services*/legislation & jurisprudence Pharmaceutical Services*/standards Pharmacies*/legislation & jurisprudence Pharmacies*/standards