To assess the availability of antibiotics for online sale and comparison of e-pharmacies on key characteristics influencing safe and rational use of antibiotics: an exploratory analysis.
{"title":"To assess the availability of antibiotics for online sale and comparison of e-pharmacies on key characteristics influencing safe and rational use of antibiotics: an exploratory analysis.","authors":"Puneet Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Jasbir Singh, Jasmeen Kaur","doi":"10.1093/jacamr/dlae158","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Growing antimicrobial resistance represents serious public health threat. With the increasing presence of online/e-pharmacies in India, public access to medicines has increased. Easy access coupled with lack of adequate and authentic drug information can undermine rational antibiotic use.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The present study aimed at exploring the availability of antibiotics for online sale and comparing the e-pharmacies on key characteristics influencing safe and rational use of antibiotics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months using the websites of 10 popular e-pharmacies in India. Availability of antibiotics for online sale was assessed in context of the National List of Essential Medicines, 2022 and WHO-AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) categories. Three separate questionnaires were developed to extract and compare relevant information from e-pharmacies pertaining to their safety and authenticity (in light of the expected standards laid down in draft e-pharmacy rules, 2018), availability of drug product and consumer awareness information for promoting prudent antibiotic use. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Out of the 17 antibiotics studied; antibiotics belonging to all WHO-AWaRe categories i.e. Access (83.33%), Watch (88.33%) and Reserve (78%) groups were available through e-pharmacies. Wide variation exists among the e-pharmacies regarding compliance to studied parameters under three questionnaires.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Increased access to Watch and Reserve groups of antibiotics can translate into antibiotic misuse. It is therefore crucial that the regulatory gaps concerning e-pharmacies are addressed urgently and consumers are educated regarding safe and rational use of antibiotics.</p>","PeriodicalId":14594,"journal":{"name":"JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance","volume":"6 5","pages":"dlae158"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11481272/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jacamr/dlae158","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/10/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"INFECTIOUS DISEASES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Growing antimicrobial resistance represents serious public health threat. With the increasing presence of online/e-pharmacies in India, public access to medicines has increased. Easy access coupled with lack of adequate and authentic drug information can undermine rational antibiotic use.
Objectives: The present study aimed at exploring the availability of antibiotics for online sale and comparing the e-pharmacies on key characteristics influencing safe and rational use of antibiotics.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over a period of 3 months using the websites of 10 popular e-pharmacies in India. Availability of antibiotics for online sale was assessed in context of the National List of Essential Medicines, 2022 and WHO-AWaRe (Access, Watch, Reserve) categories. Three separate questionnaires were developed to extract and compare relevant information from e-pharmacies pertaining to their safety and authenticity (in light of the expected standards laid down in draft e-pharmacy rules, 2018), availability of drug product and consumer awareness information for promoting prudent antibiotic use. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics.
Results: Out of the 17 antibiotics studied; antibiotics belonging to all WHO-AWaRe categories i.e. Access (83.33%), Watch (88.33%) and Reserve (78%) groups were available through e-pharmacies. Wide variation exists among the e-pharmacies regarding compliance to studied parameters under three questionnaires.
Conclusions: Increased access to Watch and Reserve groups of antibiotics can translate into antibiotic misuse. It is therefore crucial that the regulatory gaps concerning e-pharmacies are addressed urgently and consumers are educated regarding safe and rational use of antibiotics.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
