Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Drug Regulation

Drug Regulation

Drug regulation encompasses the management of drug usage by evaluating its safety and efficacy through assessments conducted by regulatory authorities. Regrettably, the history of drug regulation is marred by several catastrophic events. One such incident is the Elixir Sulfanilamide tragedy, in which the toxic compound diethyl glycol was included in a sweet-tasting medication, leading to numerous fatalities. This event prompted the enactment of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938. Under...

Drug Classes and Categories

Drug Classes and Categories

Drugs can be classified according to their chemical composition or their intended therapeutic application. For instance, anti-infective agents that possess the ability to eliminate pathogens or suppress their growth and reproduction can be grouped based on the organisms they target or their chemical structure. Furthermore, drugs can be divided into prescription, nonprescription, or controlled substances. Prescription medications, such as antibiotics, require oversight from a licensed healthcare...

Pharmacovigilance

Pharmacovigilance

Post-marketing surveillance is a critical component of pharmaceutical regulation, often uncovering unanticipated adverse drug reactions (ADRs) once a drug is widely used over an extended period.
This process, termed pharmacovigilance, aims to detect, evaluate, and minimize harmful effects related to medication use. The data collection for pharmacovigilance depends on spontaneous reporting systems, where healthcare professionals or patients voluntarily report suspected ADRs.
In some cases, there...

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...

Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact

Drug Control Governance: Regulatory Bodies and Their Impact

Drug control governance involves the oversight and regulation of pharmaceuticals to ensure their safety and efficacy while preventing illegal drug use and trafficking. Regulatory bodies, including the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union's European Medicines Agency (EMA), play a central role in this process. These agencies evaluate the safety and efficacy of drugs before they can be marketed. They fund clinical trials and assess the benefits and risks associated with a...

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Potential Scenarios

Pharmaceutical poisoning can occur through various channels, impacting an estimated 2 million hospitalized patients in the U.S. annually with serious adverse drug responses. These scenarios encompass both therapeutic uses, such as drug toxicity, where even standard dosages can lead to severe central nervous system depression, and non-therapeutic exposures, including accidental ingestion by children, and environmental and occupational exposures.Unintentional poisonings often involve exploratory...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Health Message Outcomes of Humor Appeals: A Systematic Review.

Health communication·2026

Same author

Message Effectiveness of Fear Appeals in Vaccination Communication Campaigns: A Systematic Review.

Vaccines·2024

Same author

Fair Balance of Prescription Drug Information on Legitimate and Illegitimate Online Pharmacy Websites.

Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland)·2024

Same author

How Well the Constructs of Health Belief Model Predict Vaccination Intention: A Systematic Review on COVID-19 Primary Series and Booster Vaccines.

Vaccines·2023

Same author

Why Some People Are Hesitant to Receive COVID-19 Boosters: A Systematic Review.

Tropical medicine and infectious disease·2023

Same author

Predicting Vaccination Intention against COVID-19 Using Theory of Planned Behavior: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Vaccines·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System

Published on: December 11, 2016

Illicit Online Pharmacies: A Scoping Review.

Yam B Limbu¹, Bruce A Huhmann²

¹Feliciano School of Business, Montclair State University, 1 Normal Ave., Montclair, NJ 07043, USA.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

|May 13, 2023

Summary

Illicit online pharmacies (IOPs) are vastly understudied, with existing research focusing on specific drugs rather than the overall phenomenon. Further empirical research is urgently needed to address significant knowledge gaps.

Keywords:

illicit online pharmacies patient safety pharmaceutical marketing and supply chain prescription drug public health awareness and education scoping review

More Related Videos

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Published on: April 23, 2019

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs

Published on: November 8, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System

Drug Repurposing Hypothesis Generation Using the "RE:fine Drugs" System

Published on: December 11, 2016

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

High-throughput and Comprehensive Drug Surveillance Using Multisegment Injection-Capillary Electrophoresis-Mass Spectrometry

Published on: April 23, 2019

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs

Published on: November 8, 2024

Area of Science:

Pharmacology
Public Health
Information Science

Background:

Illicit online pharmacies (IOPs) pose significant risks to public health and patient safety.
The existing body of literature on IOPs is fragmented and requires a comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

To conduct a scoping review of the literature on illicit online pharmacies.
To identify research gaps and propose an agenda for future research.

Main Methods:

A five-step framework by Arksey and O'Malley was employed for the scoping review.
Searches were conducted across multiple databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, Science Direct, PsycInfo).
Forty-three peer-reviewed articles published in English were included.

Main Results:

Ten themes were identified, categorized into five clusters: patient risk, healthcare providers, marketing and supply chain, public health and society, and policy and regulation.
Research has increasingly focused on specific drugs rather than the overall IOP phenomenon.
Data collection predominantly used convenience sampling, online searches, content analysis, and surveys, with primarily descriptive data analysis.

Conclusions:

Illicit online pharmacies are significantly understudied.
There is an urgent need for more empirical and conclusive research on IOPs.
Future research should address regulation, enforcement, public health awareness, patient risks, and supply chain issues.