Selling drugs online is becoming an increasingly popular trend, opening up many opportunities for consumers to buy quality products at affordable prices, but needs to be strictly managed and controlled.
Selling prescription drugs online: Many benefits, but needs strict management and control
Selling drugs online is becoming an increasingly popular trend, opening up many opportunities for consumers to buy quality products at affordable prices, but needs to be strictly managed and controlled.
Many benefits
It is estimated that the Vietnamese online drug market will reach about 5-8% of the drug sales market share in 2024 and is growing at a fairly rapid rate. The Ministry of Industry and Trade recorded that there are more than 1,000 pharmaceutical businesses selling drugs online.
Medical experts and pharmaceutical companies believe that when strictly managed and controlled, online drug sales can bring many benefits to consumers. Buying drugs online helps consumers save time and effort, especially for those who live in remote areas or do not have much time to go to the pharmacy. With just a few operations on the phone or computer, customers can easily choose and buy the necessary drugs without having to move.
In addition, buying medicine online provides a wide selection of products, from popular medicines to special health care products, drugs that are rare or not easily found in traditional stores. This makes it easy for consumers to find products that suit their individual needs.
One of the disadvantages of buying medicine online is the delivery problem. If it is not delivered on time, the patient's treatment process may be affected.
With the participation of many online suppliers and pharmacies, consumers can compare prices and find products at reasonable prices. In addition, many websites offer promotions and discounts, helping to reduce costs for buyers. In addition, many online drug purchasing platforms also provide online consultation services from pharmacists or doctors. This helps consumers have more information and support when choosing drugs, minimizing errors in drug use.
In response to many opinions that the sale of prescription drugs at pharmacies is currently uncontrolled, and that if drugs are sold online, it will be even more difficult to control, FPT Retail representative stated that buying drugs through an electronic environment will be transparent and make it much easier for authorities to control, for example, the consultation content can be recorded, and the transportation of drugs can be tracked in detail.
In addition, the delivery of drugs to patients with comparison through images, authentication of quantity and quality, and keeping evidence in the electronic environment for retrieval several months later is still possible. In particular, in the event of an unexpected incident, tracing the route of the goods will be much simpler and more accurate.
Transparency in transactions
According to most pharmaceutical businesses, selling drugs online can bring transparency and easier control than buying drugs directly at pharmacies. However, experts also warn that this activity still has many potential risks, especially regarding drug quality and drug abuse. Patients buying drugs online may lack medical supervision, leading to the risk of using drugs improperly or for the wrong purpose. Therefore, online drug sales platforms need to ensure drug quality, accurately verify prescriptions and provide full consulting information to users.
When purchasing drugs online, consumers must provide personal and payment information, which can pose security risks. If websites do not ensure information security, buyers may encounter fraud or account security risks.
One of the disadvantages of buying medicine online is the delivery problem. If the delivery is not on time, the patient’s treatment process may be affected. In addition, the delivery of incorrect orders or incorrect products may also occur.
To overcome the above limitations, according to Dr. Nguyen Huy Hoang, Vietnam - Russia Hyperbaric Oxygen Center (Ministry of National Defense), there needs to be coordination between agencies such as the Drug Administration and the Ministry of Industry and Trade to control drug quality, while raising people's awareness of drug use. Online drug purchases should be made at reputable establishments and consumers need to clearly understand the type of drug they are using, with the advice of pharmacists.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Trong, General Secretary of the Vietnam Medical Informatics Association, emphasized that authorities need to inspect, monitor and recognize applications and e-commerce platforms that meet legal regulations.
Allowing the sale of prescription drugs online brings many benefits, but also places high demands on management and control. Authorities need to strengthen supervision and strictly handle violations to protect public health. Online drug sales platforms need to meet quality standards and transparency in transactions so that consumers can trust and use this service safely.
Source: https://baodautu.vn/ban-thuoc-ke-don-qua-mang-nhieu-tien-ich-nhung-can-quan-ly-va-kiem-soat-chat-d231624.html
Comment (0)