«Information travels on the web at an impressive speed: just think that there are 12 million searches on the topics of health, illness, treatment and medicines carried out on search engines every day». Words from Alberto Giannini, CEO of Interactivecom, who explains how targeted and random, counterfeit and correct information is placed side by side on the Internet. "In short, the web has become a sort of health advisor, always available, but not always guaranteed," says the expert at the conference "Counterfeit drugs & the Internet: a challenge for everyone, in defense of health", held in Rome. The most common requests for information concern "headaches, back pain, fever, but also approaches such as homeopathy" but social networks also talk about drugs and equivalent drugs with spaces dedicated to specialties, clearly disconnected from the manufacturing company: "On Facebook, Tachipirina fans are now over 14,000, those of Aspirin 6,000 and those of Aulin even 27,000. Pages – explains Giannini – in which comments, appreciations and criticisms go freely, and there is no shortage of personal stories and episodes».
Pharmacist33 – 7 July 2010 – Year 6, Number 125
