The Canadian pharmacists and drug companies maintain that the online drugs might temper with the patient’s subscription following the fact that the online suppliers are never aware of other drugs being taken by the patient. The requirement of online purchase of medicines is that the prescription of the physician must be provided. This makes this argument to be of no basis since the online pharmacists only supply drugs in accordance with the doctor’s prescription.
The big companies’ argument that the online person in need of drugs might have also ordered it from another pharmacist online not factual since the same companies also never find out if the patients have made the same order from other companies. In fact, ordering from more than one institution only reduces the probability of missing out the drug. The companies further argue that the prescriptions sent online may be faked. In real sense, the probability of a person in need of the drug faking the prescription is negligible since the person is dealing with his health and cannot take chances. Moreover their suggestion that drugs may go bad due to infection during shipping is also vague since the containers for shipping are airtight and thus the chances of destruction are minimal. In addition, the distance to be covered during shipping is only past the St. Lawrence Sea Way and takes less than a day to transport. The same drugs can be transported by air if urgent hence they cannot be exposed to hazards.
The internet pharmacists’ quarrel that companies cannot export drugs due to less profit. This is a fact since the companies incur a lot of expenses in transportation due to taxation. The internet pharmacists have their prices lower than that of companies hence affordable. It is only that they are never taxed by the government hence prices are lower. The companies are not opposing new ways of doing things as the online pharmacists suggest but they perceive the competition as unfair since the goods are similar but prices differ. This reduces their market power (Managing Information Systems and Communication Technology page 433).
Internet pharmacists’ dispute is more compelling since it is factual based. Suggestions like cheapness, profitability and change are genuine as opposed to those of companies which are biased and have no factual support.
