A narrative review of illegal online pharmacies and contemporary issues with restricting FDA-approved medication access

Abstract

The rapid growth of technology has transformed the way the public purchases many products, including medications. Online medication purchasing has become a convenient and confidential route for patients to access healthcare without leaving their homes. Online pharmacies have many benefits but also present an increased risk for patient harm caused by unintentionally purchasing from illegal online pharmacies. Illegal online pharmacies are those that operate online without the requisite valid licenses or supply drugs not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As obtaining certain medications has become restricted, either due to policy or drug shortages, more patients are relying on services provided by Internet pharmacies. The overturning of Roe versus Wade has caused an emerging drug restriction that may coerce the public to turn to Internet pharmacies for purchasing medications. A narrative review was conducted to analyze both the past and present effects of medications sold by illegal online pharmacies to help recognize the implications of restricting access to FDA-approved medications. Several large science and health literature databases were searched to find relevant references. Resulting resources, which referenced the connection between restricting access to FDA-approved medications and the increase in illegal online sales, were included in this review. The information evaluated in this article will help inform healthcare providers and policymakers of the inadvertent effects of restricting access to FDA-approved medications.