Objective: To quantify and characterize the use of the Internet to search for information about medicines.
Methods: A random sample of subjects was interviewed in the city of Bordeaux (France) in November 2012 regarding their use of the Internet to find information on medicines.
Results: Among 103 interviewed subjects (median age: 38 years; 53.4% of men), 48 (46.6%) reported using the Internet to find information about medicines (58.3% of women). Two-thirds (66.7%) declared visiting consumer forums. However, nearly 60% reported to first consult a health professional. Three subjects had already bought medicines on the web and half (52.0%) of those who never made a purchase on the Internet would not trust the quality of the medicine.
Conclusion: Even if purchasing medicines on the web remains rare, this media is frequently used to find information on medicines and most often on websites of questionable quality.
© 2014 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.