April 8, 2005

According to a new study performed by comScore Networks, it's now a fact that American consumers have mixed feelings about the safety and reliability of prescription drugs. Still, many are willing to give so-called Internet pharmacies a try.

About 17.4 million people visited online pharmacies in the fourth quarter of 2004, an increase of 14% from third quarter. Although two-thirds of the online pharmacy visitors surveyed by comScore say they believe online pharmacies provide "healthy" competition to traditional pharmacies, over 50% of respondents are concerned about the safety of drugs available on the Internet.

Interestingly, the safety concerns don't necessarily hinge on the level of FDA purview over Internet pharmacies. Almost 40% of respondents would buy drugs that weren't FDA approved if they "worked." Barely half of those surveyed said that the FDA should regulate all drugs sold in the US.

Doubts about online drug safety no doubt stem in part from the countless drug-related e-mail offers received by many consumers. According to a poll by TNS, commissioned by MarkMonitor, of all the products US adults receive e-mail offers about, prescription drugs are the hardest to authenticate.

"A majority of online pharmacy visitors reported concerns about the safety and legality of buying drugs online, but the perception that e-commerce offers lower costs and greater convenience is weighing heavily on consumer decisions," says Bridget O'Toole, Senior Vice President at comScore.

Source: eMarketer