Prices for innovative pharmaceutical products that provide health gain: a comparison between Australia and the United States.

Objectives: Pricing polices used in many countries are often viewed in the United States as a mechanism of price constraint. Support for this contention has arisen from pricing studies which demonstrate that the United States pays higher prices for many pharmaceutical products. No study to date, however, has examined the prices paid for pharmaceuticals that provide significant health gain, which might be expected to be lower where price constraints were operating.

Quality of global e-pharmacies: can we safeguard consumers?

Objective: E-pharmacies are web sites selling prescription-only medicines and other products including non-prescription and complementary medicines to consumers via the internet. This study aims to evaluate the quality of global e-pharmacies, discuss whether e-pharmacies support the safe and appropriate use of medicines, and consider how we can protect consumers in the future.

Methods: A survey of public information published on global e-pharmacy web sites was conducted between July and September 2001.

Prevalence of South Australia's online health seekers.

Objective: To determine the proportion of South Australians accessing online health care information, predictive characteristics of online health seekers, nature of the information sought and consumer behaviour.

Methods: A probability-based survey of 3,027 South Australians, aged 15 years and older, as part of the Spring 2000 South Australian Health Omnibus.

Results: Internet access decreases with age, while the prevalence of online health seekers is constant (26% to 28%) among people aged between 15 and 54 years.

Do Internet interventions for consumers cause more harm than good? A systematic review.

Objective: To systematically review the effect of consumer use of online health information on decision-making, attitudes, knowledge, satisfaction and health outcomes and utilization.

Search Strategy: Electronic databases searched included the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, PREMEDLINE (to 14 March 2001), CINAHL, Australian Medical Index, Health and Society, National Institutes of Health Clinical Trials Database and CenterWatch.

Inclusion Criteria: All post-1995 comparative studies (including controlled studies, before and after studies, and interrupted time series analyses) of Internet users vs.