U.S. consumers spent $700 million to purchase prescription drugs from foreign online pharmacies–including Canadian ones–in 2002, less than 0.4% of the total U.S. drug market, according to Jupiter Research.
In addition, Jupiter found that less than 3% of chronic online drug users purchase prescription drugs directly from foreign online pharmacies. Most of them are inadequately insured seniors and low-wage workers who are underrepresented online.
For these and other reasons, the Food and Drug Administration is likely to keep its enforcement efforts minimal, leading to increased growth of this market mainly through online storefronts, said Jupiter.
But Jupiter cautioned that kiosk-facilitated channels pose the most immediate threat to U.S. prescription drug sales.
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