Millions of people use the Internet every day to access health-related information, and consumers are becoming more used to buying products online. This opens up a vast new opportunity for healthcare companies to communicate and sell products to their customers, and for healthcare professionals to provide their services in a way that is more convenient to the patient. However, the Internet poses difficult challenges for lawmakers and regulatory authorities. This is particularly the case with prescription medicines, which have generally been classed as such to protect public health. This paper focuses on the legal issues surrounding prescription medicines available over the Internet, including their promotion, prescribing and sale.
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