Multifactor Quality and Safety Analysis of Antimicrobial Drugs Sold by Online Pharmacies That Do Not Require a Prescription: Multiphase Observational, Content Analysis, and Product Evaluation Study.
Timothy K MackeyAlan K JarmuschQing XuKunyang SunAileen LuShaden AguirreJessica LimSimran BhaktaPieter C DorresteinPublished in: JMIR public health and surveillance (2022)
Our study used a multifactor approach, including web surveillance, test purchasing, and analytical chemistry, to assess risk factors associated with purchasing antibiotics online. Results provide evidence of possible safety risks, including substandard packaging and shipment, falsification of product information and markings, detection of undeclared chemicals, high variability of quality across samples, and payment for orders being defrauded. Beyond immediate patient safety risks, these falsified and substandard products could exacerbate the ongoing public health threat of antimicrobial resistance by circulating substandard product to patients.
Keyphrases
- public health
- patient safety
- antimicrobial resistance
- quality improvement
- end stage renal disease
- health information
- chronic kidney disease
- staphylococcus aureus
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- human health
- prognostic factors
- cross sectional
- mass spectrometry
- climate change
- real time pcr
- drug discovery
- clinical evaluation