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The birth of the e-clinic. Continuity or transformation in the UK governance of pharmaceutical consumption?

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  • Fox, Nick
  • Ward, Katie
  • O'Rourke, Alan

Abstract

Traditional arrangements for the prescription and dispensing of pharmaceuticals have been challenged by the rise of Internet services enabling consumers to acquire these products online, without a face-to-face contact with a professional. This paper considers three moments in the emergence of the 'e-clinic' as an alternative route to prescription drugs in the United Kingdom: the electronic transfer of prescriptions; the development of the e-pharmacy and the 'virtual' pharmacist, and the establishment of online virtue medicine consultations. We examine the phenomenon in relation to issues of governance, considering the legal and voluntary frameworks that govern prescribing. Documentary and interview data suggest that the Internet has the potential to transform the relations between prescribers, dispensers and consumers, but that stakeholders seek continuity by applying existing governance frameworks and codes of conduct. This continuity can be explained by Rosenau's (Along the Domestic-Foreign Frontier. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1997) model of a contested and fragmenting process of technology governance.

Suggested Citation

  • Fox, Nick & Ward, Katie & O'Rourke, Alan, 2005. "The birth of the e-clinic. Continuity or transformation in the UK governance of pharmaceutical consumption?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(7), pages 1474-1484, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:61:y:2005:i:7:p:1474-1484
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    Cited by:

    1. MacKinnon, Kinnon R. & Mykhalovskiy, Eric & Worthington, Catherine & Gómez-Ramírez, Oralia & Gilbert, Mark & Grace, Daniel, 2021. "Pay to skip the line: The political economy of digital testing services for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 268(C).
    2. Motulsky, Aude & Sicotte, Claude & Lamothe, Lise & Winslade, Nancy & Tamblyn, Robyn, 2011. "Electronic prescriptions and disruptions to the jurisdiction of community pharmacists," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 73(1), pages 121-128, July.
    3. Saukko, Paula M. & Reed, Matthew & Britten, Nicky & Hogarth, Stuart, 2010. "Negotiating the boundary between medicine and consumer culture: Online marketing of nutrigenetic tests," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(5), pages 744-753, March.
    4. Will, Catherine M. & Weiner, Kate, 2015. "The drugs don't sell: DIY heart health and the over-the-counter statin experience," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 280-288.
    5. Petrakaki, Dimitra & Barber, Nick & Waring, Justin, 2012. "The possibilities of technology in shaping healthcare professionals: (Re/De-)Professionalisation of pharmacists in England," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 429-437.

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