A top information technology and market research firm says that as many as 4.1 million Americans bought prescription drugs online from overseas sources not tied directly to licensed American pharmacies last year.
JupiterResearch said a new study they performed showed between 2 and 4.1 million Americans made such purchases, with about half using valid prescriptions to get the drugs, "suggesting that licensed foreign pharmacies were involved. The other half," the company continued, "said they either did not use a prescription or used an online questionnaire to obtain their drugs, indicating their purchases were made from rogue pharmacies."
This doesn't put such buyers in the majority by any means, Jupiter said – about 19 million Americans bought their drugs online from U.S.-licensed pharmacies with Web presences.
"Rogue and foreign pharmacies are using the Web as a powerful marketing tool," said Jupiter health analyst Monique Levy, announcing the survey results. "As with many other products, consumers can use the Web to research prices and use the phone or fax to actually make their purchases. Pharmaceutical manufacturers and U.S. retailers must factor these other channels in estimating the total impact of foreign and rogue pharmacies on U.S. sales."
The Jupiter survey showed also that Netizens are cautious enough about finding and buying prescription drugs in cyberspace, which means sales from rogue or foreign e-pharmacies aren't likely to accelerate much over the next year. The survey showed sixty percent of those responding cited at least one concern that would stop them from buying drugs online, from purity of prescription drugs to the proper licensing of the sources.
