The benefits of online access to prescription medicines: the European patient's perspective.
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| Názov: | The benefits of online access to prescription medicines: the European patient's perspective. |
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| Autori: | Jervelund C; Copenhagen Economics, Copenhagen, Denmark., Basalisco B; Copenhagen Economics, Copenhagen, Denmark., Mejer M; Copenhagen Economics, Brussels, Belgium., Islam M; Copenhagen Economics, Copenhagen, Denmark., Nissen MT; Copenhagen Economics, Copenhagen, Denmark., Isles M; Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacy in the EU, Essex, United Kingdom. |
| Zdroj: | Frontiers in public health [Front Public Health] 2025 Sep 08; Vol. 13, pp. 1513338. Date of Electronic Publication: 2025 Sep 08 (Print Publication: 2025). |
| Spôsob vydávania: | Journal Article |
| Jazyk: | English |
| Informácie o časopise: | Publisher: Frontiers Editorial Office Country of Publication: Switzerland NLM ID: 101616579 Publication Model: eCollection Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 2296-2565 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 22962565 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Front Public Health Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Lausanne : Frontiers Editorial Office |
| Výrazy zo slovníka MeSH: | Prescription Drugs*/supply & distribution , Internet* , Internet Access* , Pharmaceutical Services, Online* , Health Services Accessibility*, Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Europe ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Aged ; European Union ; Young Adult |
| Abstrakt: | Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Background: In the evolving EU healthcare landscape, online access to prescription medicines is rising. The EU legislation provides a legal framework for safe online access, aligning supply rules with physical pharmacies and providing specific measures against counterfeiting. Eight Member States allow online access to prescription medicines. Objectives: The study aims to understand factors influencing EU citizens' propensity to obtain prescription medicines online. Methods: The online survey was conducted in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden with 1,000 responses per country, to help ensure representatives in terms of age, gender, and macro-region. Parametric tests and regression analysis to control for confounding factors were used. In countries where online access to prescription medicines was allowed, current usage choices and preferences was asked. In countries where online access was not allowed, questions about the intended use and preferences if prescription medicines became available online was asked. Results: Thirty four percent (34%) of respondents expressed interest in obtaining prescription medicines online. This interest is was slightly higher among people with chronic conditions (36.2%) and their caregivers (41.4%). Respondents facing long distances to pharmacies or perceiving their opening hours as inconvenient expressed a preference for online access. Additionally, a number of respondents believed that online access could improve adherence to prescribed courses of medication. In particular, 64% of the chronically ill respondents who reported adherence problems due to time constraints believed that online access would improve their adherence. In countries where online access was permitted, rates of non-adherence caused by time constraints were 22 percentage points ( p < 0.001: 95%CI: 0.153-0.298) lower. An assumption might be therefore made that online access could benefit both caregivers and chronically ill patients, by managing adherence more effectively. Conclusion: Given the findings in this large scale survey and taking in to account the pharmacists interviewed about potential practical barriers, it would seem reasonable for EU Member States who currently prohibit online access to prescription medicines to consider reviewing the current national legislation. (Copyright © 2025 Jervelund, Basalisco, Mejer, Islam, Nissen and Isles.) |
| References: | Int J Epidemiol. 2021 Mar 3;50(1):346-351. (PMID: 33351919) Front Pharmacol. 2022 Dec 23;13:1070473. (PMID: 36642991) Behav Res Methods Instrum Comput. 1999 Aug;31(3):433-8. (PMID: 10502866) Science. 1987 Apr 10;236(4798):157-61. (PMID: 3563494) J Med Internet Res. 2018 Aug 22;20(8):e11115. (PMID: 30135053) Eur J Intern Med. 2024 Jan;119:6-12. (PMID: 37848351) Front Pharmacol. 2024 Sep 25;15:1489396. (PMID: 39386023) Front Pharmacol. 2023 Aug 31;14:1239507. (PMID: 37719862) BMC Health Serv Res. 2022 Apr 30;22(1):582. (PMID: 35490211) |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: adherence; chronic; convenience; online; prescription |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Prescription Drugs) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20250924 Date Completed: 20250924 Latest Revision: 20250926 |
| Update Code: | 20250926 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12451712 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1513338 |
| PMID: | 40988681 |
| Databáza: | MEDLINE |
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Nájsť tento článok vo Web of Science | Abstrakt: | Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.<br />Background: In the evolving EU healthcare landscape, online access to prescription medicines is rising. The EU legislation provides a legal framework for safe online access, aligning supply rules with physical pharmacies and providing specific measures against counterfeiting. Eight Member States allow online access to prescription medicines.<br />Objectives: The study aims to understand factors influencing EU citizens' propensity to obtain prescription medicines online.<br />Methods: The online survey was conducted in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and Sweden with 1,000 responses per country, to help ensure representatives in terms of age, gender, and macro-region. Parametric tests and regression analysis to control for confounding factors were used. In countries where online access to prescription medicines was allowed, current usage choices and preferences was asked. In countries where online access was not allowed, questions about the intended use and preferences if prescription medicines became available online was asked.<br />Results: Thirty four percent (34%) of respondents expressed interest in obtaining prescription medicines online. This interest is was slightly higher among people with chronic conditions (36.2%) and their caregivers (41.4%). Respondents facing long distances to pharmacies or perceiving their opening hours as inconvenient expressed a preference for online access. Additionally, a number of respondents believed that online access could improve adherence to prescribed courses of medication. In particular, 64% of the chronically ill respondents who reported adherence problems due to time constraints believed that online access would improve their adherence. In countries where online access was permitted, rates of non-adherence caused by time constraints were 22 percentage points ( p < 0.001: 95%CI: 0.153-0.298) lower. An assumption might be therefore made that online access could benefit both caregivers and chronically ill patients, by managing adherence more effectively.<br />Conclusion: Given the findings in this large scale survey and taking in to account the pharmacists interviewed about potential practical barriers, it would seem reasonable for EU Member States who currently prohibit online access to prescription medicines to consider reviewing the current national legislation.<br /> (Copyright © 2025 Jervelund, Basalisco, Mejer, Islam, Nissen and Isles.) |
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| ISSN: | 2296-2565 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1513338 |