Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the online purchase of goods and services in which today’s e-pharmacy is now an integral part of healthcare provisions in developed countries. The aim of our research was to assess the frequency and attitudes of European consumers purchasing medications online prior...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1070473/full |
| _version_ | 1797975452231401472 |
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| author | András Fittler Tünde Ambrus Anna Serefko Lenka Smejkalová Anna Kijewska Aleksandra Szopa Mátyás Káplár |
| author_facet | András Fittler Tünde Ambrus Anna Serefko Lenka Smejkalová Anna Kijewska Aleksandra Szopa Mátyás Káplár |
| author_sort | András Fittler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the online purchase of goods and services in which today’s e-pharmacy is now an integral part of healthcare provisions in developed countries. The aim of our research was to assess the frequency and attitudes of European consumers purchasing medications online prior to and following the pandemic in the Visegrad Group countries (V4). An online cross-sectional study was conducted between May-August 2022. A 25-item questionnaire with single choice and 5-point Likert scale answers was used and implemented in Google forms and Pollfish. A sampling of 2087 responses was collected. A majority (92.8%) of the respondents were aware medicines can be purchased online, yet prefer traditional pharmacies (4.6 ± 0.8) and somewhat oppose the internet channel (2.8 ± 1.3). Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, respondents’ attitude towards purchasing consumer goods (3.65 ± 0.89) and medications (3.26 ± 0.91) online increased, however, the change regarding medications is significantly smaller (p < 0.01). A distinct increase in the frequency of buying medicines (from 49.16% to 55.48%) and health products (from 60.61% to 63.0%) online was measured since the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05). Despite the relatively high prevalence witnessed in previous purchases, our results highlight the trend in which 18.3% of participants will definitely purchase medications online while a proportionate 17.7% will not in the future. Although long-term post-COVID attitudes towards the internet pharmacy channel have modestly increased, in comparison to previously published research the frequency of purchasing medications online has significantly increased during the past years. As national legislation in V4 countries permit only non-prescription online sales, our findings are primarily applicable to countries with similar regulatory environment. The rapid global spread of the coronavirus has transitionally affected medicinal purchase behaviors, augmenting potential public health concerns related to online sourcing. Consequently, public awareness campaigns are needed to promote verified online pharmacies and prevent the utilization of illicit websites and the use of unregistered, substandard and falsified medicinal products. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:35:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b7fb1dc2032463a8820888ba040aeb9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1663-9812 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:35:46Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pharmacology |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b7fb1dc2032463a8820888ba040aeb92022-12-28T15:16:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pharmacology1663-98122022-12-011310.3389/fphar.2022.10704731070473Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normalAndrás Fittler0Tünde Ambrus1Anna Serefko2Lenka Smejkalová3Anna Kijewska4Aleksandra Szopa5Mátyás Káplár6Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, Brno, CzechiaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, PolandDepartment of Applied Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Masaryk University, Brno, CzechiaDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, PolandDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Care, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, PolandDepartment of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryThe COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the online purchase of goods and services in which today’s e-pharmacy is now an integral part of healthcare provisions in developed countries. The aim of our research was to assess the frequency and attitudes of European consumers purchasing medications online prior to and following the pandemic in the Visegrad Group countries (V4). An online cross-sectional study was conducted between May-August 2022. A 25-item questionnaire with single choice and 5-point Likert scale answers was used and implemented in Google forms and Pollfish. A sampling of 2087 responses was collected. A majority (92.8%) of the respondents were aware medicines can be purchased online, yet prefer traditional pharmacies (4.6 ± 0.8) and somewhat oppose the internet channel (2.8 ± 1.3). Following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, respondents’ attitude towards purchasing consumer goods (3.65 ± 0.89) and medications (3.26 ± 0.91) online increased, however, the change regarding medications is significantly smaller (p < 0.01). A distinct increase in the frequency of buying medicines (from 49.16% to 55.48%) and health products (from 60.61% to 63.0%) online was measured since the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic (p < 0.05). Despite the relatively high prevalence witnessed in previous purchases, our results highlight the trend in which 18.3% of participants will definitely purchase medications online while a proportionate 17.7% will not in the future. Although long-term post-COVID attitudes towards the internet pharmacy channel have modestly increased, in comparison to previously published research the frequency of purchasing medications online has significantly increased during the past years. As national legislation in V4 countries permit only non-prescription online sales, our findings are primarily applicable to countries with similar regulatory environment. The rapid global spread of the coronavirus has transitionally affected medicinal purchase behaviors, augmenting potential public health concerns related to online sourcing. Consequently, public awareness campaigns are needed to promote verified online pharmacies and prevent the utilization of illicit websites and the use of unregistered, substandard and falsified medicinal products.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1070473/fullinternet pharmaciescentral Europeonline medicine shoppingconsumer attitudes and behaviorpost-COVIDVisegrad countries (V4) |
| spellingShingle | András Fittler Tünde Ambrus Anna Serefko Lenka Smejkalová Anna Kijewska Aleksandra Szopa Mátyás Káplár Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal Frontiers in Pharmacology internet pharmacies central Europe online medicine shopping consumer attitudes and behavior post-COVID Visegrad countries (V4) |
| title | Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal |
| title_full | Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal |
| title_fullStr | Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal |
| title_short | Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal |
| title_sort | attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of covid 19 pandemic at the tipping point towards the new normal |
| topic | internet pharmacies central Europe online medicine shopping consumer attitudes and behavior post-COVID Visegrad countries (V4) |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1070473/full |
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