Sildenafil and the internet
Abstract
PURPOSE: The Internet is changing the way medicine is being practiced and challenging our notions of the doctor-patient relationship. We analyze the development of online prescriptions and propose guidelines for the sale of sildenafil over the Internet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using MEDLINE, Medscape and Lexis-Nexis search engines we reviewed pertinent materials from January 1996 to July 1999 focusing on the keywords Viagra, prescription and Internet. The review included press releases, law review articles, case law, medical literature, pending litigation, proposed legislation, and federal and state statutes. RESULTS: Online prescriptions are an outgrowth of the mail order drug business. This development continues the historic innovations in communications and transportation that have enabled physicians to practice medicine over long distances while maintaining ties to hospitals and other specialists. While the sale of sildenafil over the Internet may be profitable and convenient, it raises a variety of legal, ethical and safety concerns. Many federal and state organizations have addressed the issue without establishing a clear standard. CONCLUSIONS: A clear distinction exists between online prescriptions and pharmacies. While it may be acceptable for sildenafil to be sold over the Internet given current technologies, it must be done within the confines of a traditional doctor-patient relationship. Online prescriptions must be limited to patients who live in states in which…
Read the paper
Related studies
- 2024 update in heart failure
- Vascular involvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- A novel technique- subendometrial autologous platelet rich plasma injection in patients with unresponsive thin endometrium undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a prospective cohort study
- Does metformin prolong pregnancy in preterm pre-eclampsia? A study protocol for a South African, hospital-based double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
- Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema (CPFE): A "New" Smoking-Related Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
- Impact of an acute 1-month cannabidiol treatment on pain and inflammation after a long bone fracture: a triple-blind randomised, placebo-controlled, clinical trial protocol
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.