There are, of course, pros and cons to virtually everything in
life, and the Internet is certainly no exception. Going even
further, the specific area of the Internet about which there are
definitely pros and cons, is the Online Pharmacy or rather, the
thousands upon thousands of them.
Online Pharmacies come in a few different types, again as with
many things, some good and some not so good. I would be foolish
to suggest that there aren't 'illegal' pharmacies supplying
prescription drugs without prescriptions, without even a
prescription written by a doctor on the basis of information
collected online. However, I think the majority of Online
Pharmacies comply with this requirement.
Of course, there are those who would argue that this method of
prescribing is not 'best medical practice'. I suppose I would be
inclined to agree if the vast majority of face-to-face
consultations in my life took more than 3 to 5 minutes and
didn’t involve less of an exchange of information than that
which is required on the average online questionnaire. I'm
disabled with a chronic illness, so there have been many
hundreds of such consultations, although this doesn't apply to
my current General Practitioner and my Pain Specialist
(Anesthetist), whom it took many years for me to find.
As for the information that a patient needs to have in order to
safely use prescription drugs, well.... let's just say that the
smallest and most uninformative Online Pharmacy would contain
more information in the form of explanations, side effects,
dosage, precautions, storage and contraindications that most
doctors could give to a patient in the time allotted, provided
of course, they deemed it necessary to inform them at all which,
again in my experience, is very rarely. Why should a doctor
lower himself/herself to explain such things to a mere
'layperson', even if they have the unmitigated gall to ask these
questions?
So, in my opinion, the majority of Online Pharmacies are not
depriving the patient of one single thing with regard to the
knowledge the doctor has or needs and the information they have
or need. This leaves only the question of the actual drugs
themselves, compared to those that would be supplied by the
Pharmacy down the road.
Before we get to this, I have to declare that I am totally
against any kind of 'controlled' drug being purchased (or
otherwise obtained) except under the strictest supervision of a
qualified and 'capable' physician. Of course, by 'controlled'
drugs I mean drugs of addiction like opiates, tranquillizers and
barbiturates etc. Basically any prescription drug that could
cause even the most careful patient to become dependent, whether
it be physically or psychologically.
Having said this, the types of drugs supplied to treat erectile
dysfunction, inflammation and weight loss (by far the most
commonly sourced groups) don't generally come under this
category (with the exception of weight loss drugs containing
'speed'). The vast majority of Online Pharmacies only provide
access to drugs, which would not be considered addictive. Those
that do should be shut down without recourse or appeal.
As for the entire concept of Online Pharmacies, we all know
there are people, especially in the U.S. (a supposedly developed
country), where much needed medications have to be forgone
because of many people’s inability to afford them. Online
Pharmacies make it possible for many of these people to access
the prescription drugs they need at a fraction of the cost,
making it possible for them to obtain the drugs they wouldn’t
normally be able to.
I am Australian and we enjoy a generous government subsidized
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which ensures that no-one pays
more than a 'token' fee for all prescription drugs that are
listed (regardless of the actual cost). So it is appalling to me
that people with a need for prescription medications must often
do without them because of socio-economic reasons. I understand
even people with relatively adequate financial resources still
struggle to afford medications, especially where a chronic
condition or series of illnesses over time may be concerned.
Yes, there are Online Pharmacies, which supply 'controlled'
drugs. This is terrible. Yes, there are Online Pharmacies, which
don't bother with the doctor/prescription aspect and yes, there
are Online Pharmacies, which supply drugs of dubious quality
from questionable sources. However, in the main, the majority of
Online Pharmacies are simply filling a great need as safely and
as responsibly as can be done in the real world. It would be a
terrible shame for this recent 'breakthrough' in the
affordability of prescription drugs to those who wouldn't
normally have access, to be taken away.
In fact, now that the Internet and Online Pharmacies exist, it
would be inhumane for those in countries where there is no
government subsidy or other means for those who simply cannot
afford to pay the exorbitant prices, to take away their
affordable access to much needed treatments.
When authorities see fit, for whatever reason, to spend so many
billions on things such as defense and the space program but
allow their citizens to go without adequate drug treatments,
then a means by which these people ARE able to access what they
need, MUST be able to continue to operate unhindered. Carefully
monitored, yes - but not legislated out of legal existence.
The amount of money spent each year through the Online
Pharmacies, demonstrates more than anything else, the huge need
that exists and the level of support from the community en
masse.
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