{"id":4075,"date":"2016-05-19T22:31:03","date_gmt":"2011-05-19T22:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.edrugstore.md\/articles\/?p=4075"},"modified":"2011-05-19T22:31:03","modified_gmt":"2011-05-19T22:31:03","slug":"drugs-people-buy-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edrugstore.com\/blog\/current-health-news\/drugs-people-buy-online\/","title":{"rendered":"What Drugs Are People Really Buying Online?"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Dan Seitz<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>You’ve heard the jokes.\u00a0 We here at eDrugstore.com have heard them twice, plus we get them as email forwards: people buy the kinds of drugs online that they don’t even want their doctor to know about.\u00a0 Erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra<\/a> or Cialis<\/a>, baldness drugs such as Propecia…drugs people want, but maybe don’t really need.<\/p>\n

The reality, though, might surprise you.<\/p>\n

In recent surveys of online drugstores, the number one pill purchased is…various forms of high blood pressure medication.\u00a0 Surprised?\u00a0 Don’t be.\u00a0 74.5 million Americans from all walks of life have high blood pressure, also called hypertension.\u00a0 It can be caused by anything from alcohol abuse to diabetes to simple aging, and is also generally the source of a wide range of medical problems.\u00a0 It’s vital to keep it under control, medically speaking, as even mild high blood pressure can aggravate a whole host of problems.\u00a0 And as many people need to cut costs, so they find the lowest price available, especially for the more advanced prescriptions.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Second?\u00a0 Abilify, aka aripiprazole, an antidepressant and antipsychotic medication.\u00a0 Again, it’s less than surprising: depression is extremely common across America and Abilify, while effective, isn’t cheap.\u00a0 In fact, anti-depressants are extremely common.<\/p>\n

Third?\u00a0 None other than…Provigil.\u00a0 What’s that?\u00a0 It treats narcolepsy: kind of important for narcolepsy sufferers.<\/p>\n

This is a common theme throughout the list: the most popular drugs are the ones that treat common problems like thyroid disorders, cholesterol control, and, er, athlete’s foot (Lamisil is a popular prescription).\u00a0 Especially common are drugs that don’t currently have a generic on the market, which isn’t surprising.\u00a0 The difference between a generic drug price and a \u201cbrand name\u201d can be enormous.<\/p>\n

In fact, you have to almost leave the top ten before you come across an ED drug, and it happens to be Bayer’s Levitra, third place in sales next to Viagra and Cialis.\u00a0 Those drugs?\u00a0 Float at 19 and 21, respectively, barely making the top 25.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>So why are all these utilitarian drugs on the list while the ones you’d expect aren’t the hits you thought they were?\u00a0 It’s all about the market you’re looking at, and the big market for pharmaceuticals is…senior citizens.<\/p>\n

Our seniors consume enormous amounts of pharmaceuticals.\u00a0 Seniors spend nearly $3000 a year on medications, and can average a total of 30 prescriptions, an average that only goes up the older they get. Furthermore, many seniors live on a fixed income; as their doctor puts them on more drugs, and as those drugs become rarer and thus pricier, they look to cut corners to maintain their health while having a little money in their wallet.\u00a0 Online purchases have a second advantage: no driving, so it’s one less trip they need to take.\u00a0 This is especially important for shut-ins and seniors with limited mobility.<\/p>\n

So, in short, the person buying drugs online isn’t your vain, aging uncle: it’s your grandmother.\u00a0 Well, also your vain, aging uncle, but your grandmother outspends him.\u00a0 Online pharmacies fill an important niche for our elderly, keeping them healthy, happy, and running fewer errands.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Dan Seitz You’ve heard the jokes.\u00a0 We here at eDrugstore.com have heard them twice, plus we get them as email forwards: people buy the kinds of drugs online that they don’t even want their doctor to know about.\u00a0 Erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra or Cialis, baldness drugs such as Propecia…drugs people want, but maybe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_autoblog_aioseo_focus_keyphrase":"","_autoblog_aioseo_title":"","_autoblog_aioseo_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4075","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-health-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t