Tantargy

Data

Official data in SubjectManager for the following academic year: 2025-2026

Topic

Thousands of internet pharmacies are accessible on the web, and a vast number of illegitimate vendors overwhelm the market of online pharmaceuticals. This illegal market segment operates within an uncontrolled environment, with no restrictions on vendors, consumers or products, in which practically anyone can purchase any type of medication – including counterfeit drugs – without a prescription, medical supervision or appropriate diagnosis, consequently compromising patient and medication safety. International and national authorities lack efficient tools to discover and shut down illicit pharmacy websites and stop the illicit trade of counterfeit medicines. Accordingly, advanced computational methods are needed to detect and mitigate cybercriminal activity, and efficient inter-disciplinary communication and public awareness campaigns to inform consumers.

The course will provide insight into the current issues of the online pharmaceutical market and the dangers of counterfeit medicines. Real world data on legitimate and rogue online pharmacies, various stakeholders, networks, products and information content will be introduced, along with the discussion of measures combating illegal peddling of pharmaceuticals.

Students can access resources for their individual and group assignment, further the slides of the lectures and further reading material in Moodle.

Lectures

• 1. (FIP) How to advise patients exposed to SF medical products (Module F) - Ashraf Amir Reza
• 2. Defining substandard & falsified medicines - Fittler András Tamás
• 3. Databases and useful resources to evaluate the extent of the SF problem - Fittler András Tamás
• 4. Health consequences of SF Medicines Project works - Vida Róbert György
• 5. National SF problem and the introduction of currency existing countermeasures - Fittler András Tamás
• 6. Risk assessment of online medicinal product vendors - Vida Róbert György
• 7. Questionnaire of individuals regarding online drugs - Fittler András Tamás
• 8. SWOT analysis of the online pharmacy market - Fittler András Tamás
• 9. Designing a public awareness educational-information material - Fittler András Tamás
• 10. Structured interview to explore the nature of online sourcing of pharmaceuticals Self evaluation tests - Fittler András Tamás
• 11. Mid semester test - Fittler András Tamás
• 12. Final test - Fittler András Tamás

Practices

• 1. Introduction to the issues of counterfeit medicines and illegal online sales, the roles of pharmacists and collaboration. - Fittler András Tamás
• 2. Challenges of protecting supply chain integrity Online pharmacy market module - Vida Róbert György
• 3. Frequency and attitudes of consumers/patients purchasing medications online - Ashraf Amir Reza
• 4. Categorization of online pharmacies - Fittler András Tamás
• 5. Nomenclature and stakeholders of the internet pharmacy market - Fittler András Tamás
• 6. Verification systems in the online pharmacy ecosystem - Fittler András Tamás
• 7. Complex risk assessment of the online pharmaceutical market: Assessment of search engine result pages, online vendor characteristics and product information. Counterfeit/SF medicinal products module - Fittler András Tamás
• 8. (FIP) Introducing the problem of SF medicines (Module A) - Ashraf Amir Reza
• 9. (FIP) How to identify medical products most at risk of being falsified (Module B) - Ashraf Amir Reza
• 10. (FIP) How to prevent SF medical productsfrom entering the supply chain (Module C) - Ashraf Amir Reza
• 11. (FIP) How to detect SF medical product (Module D) - Ashraf Amir Reza
• 12. (FIP) How to report SF medical products (Module E) - Ashraf Amir Reza

Seminars

Reading material

Obligatory literature

Literature developed by the Department

List of study aids to acquire curriculum and all presentations are available in Moodle

Notes

Recommended literature

"Multifactor Quality and Safety Analysis of Semaglutide Products Sold by Online Sellers Without a Prescription..." - https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e65440/
“Attitudes and behaviors regarding online pharmacies in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic: At the tipping point towards the new normal” https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1070473/full

“Prevalence of Poisoned Google Search Results of Erectile Dysfunction Medications Redirecting to Illegal Internet Pharmacies” in Journal of Medical Internet Research; https://www.jmir.org/2022/11/e38957/

“Stakeholders of the Online Pharmaceutical Market” as a book chapter in Telehealth and Telemedicine - https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/84603

"Developing a framework regarding a complex risk based methodology in the evaluation of hazards associated with medicinal products sourced via the internet" in Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsps.2020.10.018

Conditions for acceptance of the semester

Acceptance of term/semester:

- Regular attendance of classes (synchronous montly) seminars, student should be able to work project-oriented and independently.

- Assignments and project work given in class should be carried out during term-time

- Presentation of project work

Mid-term exams

There are no midterm tests, however participants will present their individual and group assignments and collaboratively prepare for their project work.

Making up for missed classes

There is an opportunity to make up for a limited number of absences following personal discussion.

Exam topics/questions

Grade will be determined based on individual and collaborative project works, further the completion of self-evaluation tests in Moodle.

Examiners

Instructor / tutor of practices and seminars

• Ashraf Amir Reza
• Fittler András Tamás
• Vida Róbert György