US consumers 'more aware of online medicine risks'

A recent survey by the  Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP) has found that two-thirds of US consumers are aware that buying medicines online is risky, a 22-point increase in two years.

The ASOP Global Foundation 2025 US Consumer Behaviour Survey also reveals the increasing emergence of online purchasing in general, with 38 per cent of those polled saying they purchased prescription medicines online in the last 12 months. Of these, more than half (55 per cent) said they now buy all of their medicines through online pharmacies.

The risks of this are, however, exposed in another key result – nearly one in four online purchasers reported that they received counterfeit or substandard drugs, with 13 per cent saying they had received counterfeits, 10 per cent expired products, and 7 per cent damaged or improperly stored medication.

The rates shoot up for GLP-1 agonist weight-loss medications like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly's Zepbound (tirzepatide), with 40 per cent of people sourcing them online reporting that they had either received a counterfeit or substandard product or been harmed by one.

That is nearly double the prevalence reported by online purchasers of all other medications, according to the survey.

Meanwhile, 65 per cent of respondents falsely believe that all online pharmacies or health-service websites are reviewed or approved by the FDA or state regulators, and nearly half (44 per cent) think a pharmacy can sell prescriptions without a doctor’s prescription if medical history information is provided.

"Consumers are understandably drawn to the convenience and lower prices of online sellers, but that convenience often comes at the cost of safety,” said Justin Macy, board chair of the ASOP Global Foundation.

"Our findings mark a turning point. Americans may be more aware of the risks of various products, but misinformation runs rampant and we’re seeing illegal online sellers are taking advantage of affordability pressures, social media and aggressive marketing to reach Americans directly with illegitimate and substandard drugs," he added.

"It’s crucial that consumers know how to verify legitimate sources before they buy."