From Kim Lovett, Bryan Liang, and Tim Mackey: Online, Direct-to-Consumer Access to Insulin

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2012 Nov 1;6(6):1503-6.

Online, Direct-to-Consumer Access to Insulin: Patient Safety Considerations and Reform.

Lovett KM, Liang BA, Mackey TK.

Source

Kaiser Permanente, San Diego, California.

Abstract

The online, direct-to-consumer (DTC) medical marketplace is proliferating more rapidly than regulation is evolving to ensure proper patient safety and public health controls. Along with this growing body of unrestrained medical testing and pharmaceuticals offered DTC online, most types of insulin and insulin administration products may now be purchased without prescriptions or physician guidance. Given the relatively significant risks of insulin use, the abuse potential, the high prevalence of diabetes mellitus, and the rising population of uninsured and underinsured, it is imperative to reform theonline DTC medical marketplace to ensure that patient safety and public health are protected.