Getting access to medication can be a difficult and demanding process for patients. There are often a number of hoops to jump through, papers to sign, tests to go through and all that just to get a prescription. Actually obtaining medication can be another event to itself. Now, according to a report by Reuters, patients may be turning to online brokers to make the process more efficient. Keep reading to learn more, or follow the original story here for more information.
The Social Medwork
There’s a number of comparisons that could be made about the Amsterdam-based company starting this cultural shift. They self describe as an online, and legal version of the Dallas Buyers Club. Regulatory groups caution users about the risks of buying online. Social Medwork, however, assures patients it has a trusted network of suppliers. They view themselves as filling a gap. Anyone with a prescription can place an order through Social Medwork online.
In just a year and a half, Social Medwork has provided supplies to over 3000 patients. They’ve provided treatment for everything from migraines, to cancer, to multiple sclerosis. They’re even able to acquire the latest forms of treatment.
Top Seller
One patient using Social Medowrk is Senty Bera. Bera is 43 and lives with a chronic migraine condition. Bera recently used Social Medwork to buy a new drug called Aimovig. Aimovig isn’t yet approved by Britain’s national health care system, and comes with a large price tag. Bera, however, says it is well worth it. Britain’s health professionals would only comment to say that there is technically no restriction about individuals importing medicines in this fashion.
Social Medwork currently boasts customers in 70 countries. Many of its offerings are drugs approved in the United States but not yet elsewhere. As a result, not many people in the US have become interested in the service. Sjaak Vink, founder of Social Medwork, says the Internet made the whole thing possible. This isn’t just because of technology but because patients are becoming more aware of how long it takes to get drugs to them from development to widespread approval. The process can take anywhere from months to years. The company’s goal, Vink describes, is to bridge this gap.
