Counterfeit medication are estimated to be a $4 billion a yr business, with solely 5% of the roughly 35,000 on-line pharmacies being accredited, Dr. Megan Menon defined in an interview CURE®.
The danger for counterfeit medication disproportionately impacts youthful sufferers, Menon, government director of pharmacy at Roswell Park Complete Most cancers Middle in Buffalo, New York, emphasised.
“The youthful affected person inhabitants is at increased threat, and it is in all probability as a result of we’re so used to going surfing for the whole lot,” Menon stated. “I am going to the shop, and I see one thing, buth then have a look at my telephone to see if I can discover it cheaper some place else. So actually, [there is] a variety of consolation with simply going surfing to seek out one thing cheaper. I do not know that we’re fairly conscious of the variety of rip-off websites which might be on the market.”
Within the interview, Menon spoke with CURE about how sufferers can keep away from counterfeit medication on-line and what assets can be found to them.
Transcript:
The very first thing to do if you are going to an internet site is [to see if] there is a hyperlink to the Alliance for Protected On-line Pharmacies [https://asopfoundation.pharmacy/]. There, you may see if the pharmacy that you are looking at is accredited. The opposite factor is, if you happen to get to an internet site and it says they do not require a prescription for a medicine, particularly an oral oncolytic, run away as a result of that’s completely not a reliable web site. When you have questions, like in the event that they do require a prescription nevertheless it’s not on the Alliance for Protected On-line Pharmacies web site, attain out to your care group.
A number of hospitals, a variety of clinics and suppliers, are conscious of this threat, to allow them to assist you to decide if it is a reliable web site that you’ll. If you are going to these web sites simply looking for a less expensive choice — as a result of these brokers are very costly — they may have assets that will help you get the monetary help that you just want to have the ability to afford your drugs.
Transcript has been edited for readability and conciseness.
For extra information on most cancers updates, analysis and schooling, don’t neglect to subscribe to CURE®’s newsletters right here.
