70% would buy medicines on the internet
The EU’s new kite mark logo for online pharmacies, introduced on July 1, helps patients identify authorised online pharmacies providing genuine medicines.
Online pharmacy business is currently growing across Europe and authorities have been moving to ensure the service is regulated.
The survey, commissioned by Lloyd’s Online Doctor, also found:
-Over half (55%) of people aged 55 years and older would buy medicines online;
-Support was strongest from those aged 45 to 54, with eight out of 10 (81%) in favour of the change;
-More women (77%) than men (69%) support the change.
Stephen Bourke, general manager of Lloyds Online Doctor Ireland, said online pharmacy was already a reality with some chemists happy to ship to Ireland, even though they were acting illegally.
Last year, the Health Products Regulatory Authority — formerly the Irish Medicines Board — reported a 20% increase in the amount of counterfeit and illegal medicines seized.
Mr Bourke said proper regulation of the sector, including the adoption of the EU kite mark logo, would help ensure it was safe for people to buy medicines on the internet.
The survey of over 1,000 adults by Amárach Research found three out of four people consult their pharmacist for medical advice.
Almost four out of five said they wanted pharmacists to have a greater role in providing health services to patients.
Three out of four (76%) also believe giving pharmacists a greater role in health care would reduce costs to the State and give GPs more time to deal with patients with complex conditions.
Lloyds said it is already acting on some of the findings, seeking expressions of interests from pharmacies in a pilot scheme to improve access to in-pharmacy healthcare services.
The programme includes proposals to allow doctors to send a patient’s prescription to a preferred pharmacy who would arrange delivery of the medication to their home or place of work.
Lloyds online Irish practice was launched last July and, in less than a year, has grown to over 20,000 patients.
