Online medication purchasing during the Covid-19 pandemic: A pilot study from the United Arab Emirates
Date
2021Item Type
ArticleAbstract
Abstract
Background: Since the WHO announced that Covid-19 had become a global pandemic, online pharmacies have
emerged as an extremely popular way to purchase medication due to the quarantine measures introduced by
numerous countries to prevent the virus’s spread.
Aim: The aim of this study was to collect information regarding the extent of online medication purchasing in the
UAE and to assess the factors that motivating the purchase of medications from the internet.
Method: A convenience sampling of people living in the UAE was used to conduct an online descriptive cross sectional study. Respondents were solicited using the social media platforms WhatsApp and Facebook, whereby they
were asked to fll in a validated web-based questionnaire. The number of people buying medications from online
pharmacies was calculated using a percentage with 95% CIs.
Results: 131 respondents (31.2%) [95% CI: 26.7–35.6] stated that they purchased medication via the internet after
Covid-19 was classed as a pandemic. It was found that those respondents most likely to have purchased medication
via the internet were male, single, and older and with a high school education.
Conclusion: More research should be conducted to investigate and compare the self-medication and associated
risk factors between online pharmacies and community pharmacies. Moreover, regulatory bodies need to make and
implement changes to the regulations that govern the sale and use of medications during COVID-19.
Author
Jairoun, Ammar Abdulrahman
Al‑Hemyari, Sabaa Saleh
Abdulla, Naseem Mohammed
El‑Dahiyat, Faris
Jairoun, Maimona
AL‑Tamim, Saleh Karamah
Babar, Zaheer‑Ud‑Din