The sources and popularity of online drug information: An analysis of top search engine results and web page views

Annals of Pharmacotherapy

Volumn 45, Issue 3, 2011, Pages 350-356

  Law, Michael R ^a   Mintzes, Barbara ^a   Morgan, Steven G ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA   (Canada)

Author keywords

Drug information; Health information; Internet; Prescription drugs

Indexed keywords

ACETYLSALICYLIC ACID; ALPRAZOLAM; AMFEBUTAMONE; AMITRIPTYLINE; AMOXICILLIN; AMPHETAMINE; AZITHROMYCIN; CIPROFLOXACIN; CITALOPRAM; CLONAZEPAM; CODEINE; DEXTROMETHORPHAN; DIAZEPAM; DICLOFENAC; DOXYCYCLINE; FLUOXETINE; GABAPENTIN; HYDROCODONE; IBUPROFEN; LORAZEPAM; METHADONE; METRONIDAZOLE; MORPHINE; NAPROXEN; OXYCODONE; PREDNISONE; PRESCRIPTION DRUG; PROMETHAZINE; SERTRALINE; TRAMADOL;

ARTICLE; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY; DRUG INFORMATION; DRUG SCREENING; FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION; HUMAN; INTERNET; NONHUMAN; PRESCRIPTION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RETROSPECTIVE STUDY; SEARCH ENGINE; WEB BROWSER;

CONSUMER HEALTH INFORMATION; CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDIES; DRUG INDUSTRY; DRUG INFORMATION SERVICES; DRUGS, GENERIC; INTERNET; PRESCRIPTION DRUGS; QUALITY IMPROVEMENT; SEARCH ENGINE;

EID: 79952670285     PISSN: 10600280     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1345/aph.1P572     Document Type: Article

References (30)

1. Pew Research Center. Prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Pew Internet & American Life Project. http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2009/8-The-Social- Life-of-Health-Information/5-Prescription-or-overthecounterdrugs/ 1-Information-about-prescription-or-overthecounter-drugs.aspx?r=1 (accessed 2009 Sept 24).
2. Hesse BW, Nelson DE, Kreps GL, et al. Trust and sources of health information: the impact of the internet and its implications for health care providers: findings from the first health information national trends survey. Arch Intern Med 2005;165:2618-24. DOI 10.1001/archinte.165.22.2618 (Pubitemid 41785059)
3. Brokowski L, Sheehan AH. Evaluation of pharmacist use and perception of Wikipedia as a drug information resource. Ann Pharmacother 2009;43:1912-3. DOI 10.1345/aph.1M340
4. Comer B. Docs look to Wikipedia for condition info. Medical Marketing & Media. http://www.mmm-online.com/Docs-look-to-Wikipedia-forcondition-info- Manhattan-Research/article/131038/ (accessed 2009 Sept 24).
5. Hughes B, Joshi I, Lemonde H, Wareham J. Junior physician's use of Web 2.0 for information seeking and medical education: a qualitative study. Int J Med Inform 2009;78:645-55. DOI 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2009.04.008
6. Johnson PT, Chen JK, Eng J, Makary MA, Fishman EK. A comparison of world wide web resources for identifying medical information. Acad Radiol 2008;15:1165-72. DOI 10.1016/j.acra.2008.02.010
7. Eysenbach G, Powell J, Kuss O, Sa E. Empirical studies assessing the quality of health information for consumers on the world wide web: a systematic review. JAMA 2002;287:2691-700. (Pubitemid 34533548)
8. Berland GK, Elliott MN, Morales LS, et al. Health information on the Internet: accessibility, quality, and readability in English and Spanish. JAMA 2001;285:2612-21. (Pubitemid 32479901)
9. Clauson KA, Polen HH, Boulos MNK, Dzenowagis JH. Scope, completeness, and accuracy of drug information in Wikipedia. Ann Pharmacother 2008;42:1814-21. DOI 10.1345/aph.1L474
10. Thompson AE, Graydon SL. Patient-oriented methotrexate information sites on the Internet: a review of completeness, accuracy, format, reliability, credibility, and readability. J Rheumatol 2009;36:41-9. DOI 10.3899/jrheum. 080430
11. Devgan L, Powe N, Blakey B, Makary M. Wiki-surgery? Internal validity of Wikipedia as a medical and surgical reference. J Am Coll Surg 2007;205:S76-7. DOI 10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2007.06.190
12. Davis JJ, Cross E, Crowley J. Pharmaceutical websites and the communication of risk information. J Health Commun 2007;12:29. DOI 10.1080/10810730601091326
13. Alexa top 500 global sites. http://www.alexa.com/topsites (accessed 2009 Sept 24).
14. Chong CR, Sullivan DJ. New uses for old drugs. Nature 2007;448:645-6. DOI 10.1038/448645a (Pubitemid 47236844)
15. Eysenbach G, Kohler C. How do consumers search for and appraise health information on the world wide web? Qualitative study using focus groups, usability tests, and in-depth interviews. BMJ 2002;324:573-7. DOI 10.1136/bmj.324.7337.573 (Pubitemid 34214337)
16. Laurent MR, Vickers TJ. Seeking health information online: does Wikipedia matter? J Am Med Inform Assoc 2009;16:471-9. DOI 10.1197/jamia.M3059
17. Ricketts C. Google health search adds drug info - upping pharma ad spend? The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/external/venturebeat/2010/06/22/ 22venturebeat-google-health-search-adds-drug-info-upping-63699.html (accessed 2010 Jun 30).
18. SDI/Verispan. 2008 Top 200 generic drugs by total prescriptions. Drug Topics. http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/data/articlestandard// drugtopics/222009/599844/article.pdf (accessed 2010 Mar 9).
19. SDI/Verispan. 2008 Top 200 branded drugs by total prescriptions. Drug Topics. http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/data/articlestandard// drugtopics/222009/599845/article.pdf (accessed 2010 Mar 9).
20. Wikipedia article traffic statistics. http://stats.grok.se/ (accessed 2010 Mar 4).
21. BrandweekNRX. Abbott caught altering entries to Wikipedia. http://www.brandweeknrx.com/2007/08/abbott-caught-a.html (accessed 2009 Sept 21).
22. Exposed: guess who has been polishing their Wikipedia entries? Times Online. http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry-sectors/media/ article2264150.ece (accessed 2009 Sept 21).
23. Wikipedia: conflict of interest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia: Conflict-of-interest (accessed 2010 Jul 7).
24. Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services. Promotion of food and drug administration-regulated medical products using the Internet and social media tools; notice of public hearing. http://edocket. access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-22618.htm (accessed 2009 Sept 21).
25. Grossman L. Should you trust health advice from the web? New Scientist. http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327185.500-should-youtrust-health- advice-from-the-web.html?full=true (accessed 2009 Sept 24).
26. Gilinert L, Schommer J. Manufacturers' prescription drug web sites: a gray area of discourse and ethics. Boston University, Boston MA: 2010. http://www.bu.edu/comet/ (accessed 2010 Jul 30).
27. Weppner WG, Hollon MF, Chew LD, Larson EB. Direct-to-consumer offers for free and discounted medications on the Internet: a content analysis of "e-samples." Arch Intern Med 2009;169:2024-30. DOI 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.397
28. Roeloffs C, Sherbourne C, Unützer J, Fink A, Tang L, Wells KB. Stigma and depression among primary care patients. Gen Hosp Psychiatry 2003; 25:311-5. DOI 10.1016/S0163-8343(03)00066-5 (Pubitemid 37102937)
29. Kennedy J, Tuleu I, Mackay K. Unfilled prescriptions of medicare beneficiaries: prevalence, reasons, and types of medicines prescribed. J Manag Care Pharm 2008;14:553-60.
30. Vermeire E, Hearnshaw H, Royen PV, Denekens J. Patient adherence to treatment: three decades of research. A comprehensive review. J Clin Pharm Ther 2001;26:331-42. DOI 10.1046/j.1365-2710.2001.00363.x (Pubitemid 32989555)