Online Pharmaceutical Market and the Dangers of Counterfeit Medicines

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2024-2025

Topic

Thousands of internet pharmacies are accessible on the web, and a vast number of illegitimate vendors overwhelm the market of online pharmaceuticals. This illegal market segment operates within an uncontrolled environment, with no restrictions on vendors, consumers or products, in which practically anyone can purchase any type of medication – including counterfeit drugs – without a prescription, medical supervision or appropriate diagnosis, consequently compromising patient and medication safety. International and national authorities lack efficient tools to discover and shut down illicit pharmacy websites and stop the illicit trade of counterfeit medicines. Accordingly, advanced computational methods are needed to detect and mitigate cybercriminal activity, and efficient inter-disciplinary communication and public awareness campaigns to inform consumers.

The course will provide insight into the current issues of the online pharmaceutical market and the dangers of counterfeit medicines. Real world data on legitimate and rogue online pharmacies, various stakeholders, networks, products and information content will be introduced, along with the discussion of measures combating illegal peddling of pharmaceuticals.

Students can access resources for their individual and group assignment, further the slides of the lectures and further reading material on a designated web based interface (Moodle).

Lectures

• 1. Introduction to the issues of counterfeit medicines and illegal online sales, the roles of pharmacists and collaboration. Databases and useful resources to evaluate the extent of the SF problem. - Fittler András Tamás
• 2. Defining substandard & falsified medicines. International significance of SF medicines. - Fittler András Tamás
• 3. Challenges of protecting supply chain integrity and combatting Substandard & Falsified medicines. Health consequences of SF Medicines - Vida Róbert György
• 4. Nomenclature and categorization of online pharmacies. Identifying stakeholders of the market. - Fittler András Tamás
• 5. Nomenclature and stakeholders of the market. Verification systems in the online pharmacy ecosystem. - Fittler András Tamás
• 6. Evaluation of international pharmacy networks on the internet, applications of data science methods (lecturer: Prof. Dr Péter Iványi, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology) - Fittler András Tamás
• 7. Frequency and attitudes of consumers/patients purchasing medications online. Complex risk assessment of the online pharmaceutical market. - Fittler András Tamás

Practices

• 1. Nomenclature and categorization of online pharmacies. Identifying stakeholders of the market. (individual assignment) - Fittler András Tamás
• 2. Evaluation of the potential benefits and risks from various aspects. SWOT analysis from patient/consumer’s, authority and online vendor’ perspective (group work) - Fittler András Tamás
• 3. Importance of the closed drug supply chain and identification of the global threats of integrity (group work) - Fittler András Tamás
• 4. The problem and prevalence of counterfeiting and falsifying of medicinal products – Introduction of project work on the international significance of counterfeit drugs and potential countermeasures - Vida Róbert György
• 5. Technologies against counterfeit medicine. Introduction and assessment of national and international verification systems of online vendors (group work) - Fittler András Tamás
• 6. Assessment of search engine result pages, online vendor characteristics and product information. Application of a complex risk assessment methodology for project work. - Vida Róbert György
• 7. Presentation and discussion of project works: e.g. Evaluation of hazards associated with medicinal products sourced via the internet, Fighting the global trade of counterfeit medicines, etc. - Vida Róbert György

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

List of study aids to acquire curriculum and all presentations are available in Moodle

Notes

Recommended literature

“Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal” in Frontiers in Pharmacology; https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1070473/full

“Prevalence of Poisoned Google Search Results of Erectile Dysfunction Medications Redirecting to Illegal Internet Pharmacies” in Journal of Medical Internet Research; https://www.jmir.org/2022/11/e38957/

“Stakeholders of the Online Pharmaceutical Market” as a book chapter in Telehealth and Telemedicine - The Far-Reaching Medicine for Everyone and Everywhere (IntechOpen). https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/84603

"Developing a framework regarding a complex risk based methodology in the evaluation of hazards associated with medicinal products sourced via the internet" in Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2020.10.018

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Acceptance of term/semester:

- Regular attendance of classes, student should be able to work project-oriented and independently.

- Assignments and project work given in class should be carried out during term-time

- Presentation of project work

Mid-term exams

There are no midterm tests, however participants will present their individual and group assignments and prepare for their project work.

Making up for missed classes

There is an opportunity to make up for a limited number of absences following personal discussion.

Exam topics/questions

Grade will be determined based on individual and project works, further the completion of self-evaluation tests in Moodle.

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Fittler András Tamás
• Vida Róbert György