Perception and Knowledge to Online Pharmacy Services among Consumers in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: a Pilot Survey

Journal Article

ALSULTAN, Nasser F. ALFAHAD, Mohammed T. ALBELALI, Fowad M. KHURSHID, Mohammed N. AL-ARIFI, Abdlatif A. AL-DHAWAILIE, Mohammed S. . 2015

• Magazine \ Newspaper: Latin American Journal of Pharmacy (formerly Acta Farmacéutica Bonaerense)
• Issue Number: 6
• Volume Number: 34
• Pages: 1113-8

Publication Abstract

Information on consumer behavior towards online pharmacy is scarce. This study investigated the consumer’s knowledge and perception towards the use of online pharmacy services in the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire survey method was used. A clear majority of the respondents did not hear about online pharmacy (82.6%) and very few respondents purchased medicinal product through online pharmacy (1.4%). Overall, there were knowledge deficits in regards to online pharmacy and purchasing medicines from online pharmacies was not a common practice in this current sample. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there are no intentions to use such services in future. Respondents generally held positive views and opinions of online pharmacies. The choice of an online pharmacy by the respondents was mainly influenced by convenience.