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Measuring Safety Risks in Online Drug Sales: Empirical Study Based on Complex Network Theory
Rong Jiang1, Bingke Xing2, Lixin Shu1
1Faculty of Pharmacy, Naval Medical University, Shanghai, China.
JMIR Infodemiology
|July 7, 2026
Summary
Online drug sales present safety risks, with key issues including improper prescription handling and record-keeping failures. Addressing these risks is crucial for public health security and regulatory oversight.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacoeconomics
- Public Health
- Network Science
Background:
- The expansion of e-pharmacies introduces significant safety concerns alongside public convenience.
- These emerging risks challenge existing public health security frameworks and regulatory oversight.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively assess and measure the safety risks associated with online drug sales.
- To identify and rank key risk factors within the online pharmaceutical marketplace.
Main Methods:
- A complex network model with 116 nodes and 152 edges was constructed using data from 458 online drug sales violation cases.
- Network topological properties were analyzed, and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) was applied to identify and rank critical risk factors.
Main Results:
- Key risk factors identified include inadequate prescription review/dispensing, lack of internet hospital prescription issuance, and insufficient drug procurement/sales records.
- Consumer failure to provide prescriptions was also a significant identified risk node.
Conclusions:
- Findings enable regulatory bodies to develop targeted interventions for critical risks like prescription handling and documentation.
- Strengthening the regulatory network for online drug sales is essential for market order and enhanced public health security.
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