According to one investigation produced by Harris Interactive for the 1001Pharmacies.com site, the French still do not trust the drugs sold online. Carried out in early February 2015 on a representative sample of the population including 1,040 people, the survey revealed that 56% of participants still prefer to go to a pharmacy.
Why such reluctance? For 65% of participants, it is the lack of confidence in the origin and quality of products that prevents them from buying their products. capsules on the Net. But the survey also reveals a lack of knowledge of the legislation, since 38% of respondents are unaware that the sale of non-prescription drugs on the Internet has been authorized in France since 2013.
Majority self-medication
The survey also highlights a phenomenon practiced by 97% of French people: self-medication. According to the survey, 82% of respondents use it daily. Thus, only 38% of respondents said they go to a pharmacy frequently, a few times a month at least. The reasons for self-medication are well known: time saving, practicality and savings among others.
In addition, 84% of those surveyed dispense with medical advice and buy their own medicines without a prescription. For the authors of Press release According to the survey, this trend proves that “the French are becoming more and more autonomous in the management of their health”. But this phenomenon of self-medication could well decline with the switch from the drug sold individually to pharmacies, already experienced in several regions of France.
For the online drug sales website which sponsored the survey, these conclusions clearly show that the market is flourishing, even if a lot remains to be done to convince the French. However, the latter would not be wrong to be wary, since one in two drugs sold online would be counterfeit according to the World Health Organization. Most often, the active molecule of the drug is replaced by harmless, but ineffective substances. But sometimes counterfeiters add toxic products to it as a dye.
However, if you want to buy on Internet, be aware that a list of French sites authorized to sell drugs is available on the website of the Ministry of Health.
Read also :
Counterfeit drugs: an online lesson on how to avoid being fooled
Online drugs are not cheaper
Online drugs: the profile of the typical buyer
