Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Horgan, C
• Goody, B
• Knapp, D
• Fitterman, L

Titel

The role of mail service pharmacies

Ist Teil von

• Health affairs (Millwood, Va.), 1990, Vol.9 (3), p.66-74

Ort / Verlag

United States: The People to People Health Foundation, Inc., Project HOPE

Erscheinungsjahr

1990

Quelle

PAIS Index

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The escalating costs of prescription drugs and competition among pharmaceutical firms for customers are drawing the attention of policymakers, pharmacies, and individual and institutional purchasers. Mail order pharmacies have recently grown in prominence as a competitive alternative to the local community pharmacy. The role mail service pharmacies play in providing prescription drugs to the elderly is examined. A survey of mail service pharmacies reveals that the elderly account for nearly 57% of total sales of mail order pharmacies. This reflects the fact that elderly persons are heavier users of prescription drugs, especially chronic medications, than their younger counterparts. Currently, such pharmacies account for less than 6% of the outpatient drug market; however, rapid growth in the industry suggests that their market share may increase substantially in the next 5 years.