The rise of electronic commerce in healthcare: The need to ensure consumer safety

Abstract

The growth of e-commerce is revolutionizing access to health products, and offers of these products on the Internet are often attractive from the customer’s point of view. However, it contributes significantly to the expansion of international trade in falsified medicines. The objective is to take stock of the significant growth in the online sale of health products with the health challenges encountered. We conducted a survey on the purchase of the most popular online health products in Morocco, and then examined the type of health products offered, the price of the most common drugs compared to conventional prices.49 websites and social network forums were identified, 37% of which had a specific address and 63% of which had a virtual interface. The sales strategies identified are numerous, the main ones being the availability of medical specialties not available in the country, the order to pay less and save time. The most common purchases concern so-called ”comfort” medicines.