Buying Drugs over the Internet: Who is Regulating Pharmacies on the World Wide Web

By Ann M. Alexander

Summary: Today, one out of every four Americans searches the World Wide Web for health related information and prescription drug research. However, the number of Americans that purchase their pharmaceuticals over the internet still remains low.

This note discusses the various types of internet pharmacies, the reasons patients utilize these entities, and current regulation of the industry. Allocating responsibility to both the State and Federal governments, the note suggests a solution to the problems posed by current regulation of internet pharmacies.

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