Internet Pharmacies: Cyberspace versus the Regulatory State

The unique qualities of e-commerce make it difficult to regulate under any circumstances, but the growth of online pharmacies in particular is far outpacing the ability of government officials to investigate and enforce existing drug laws. In 1999, Americans spent an estimated $44 million purchasing prescription drugs from online pharmacies, a figure that is projected to reach$1 billion per year by 2003. In December of 1999, President Clinton proposed $10 million in new funding for the FDA to regulate Internet pharmacies and hire 100 new employees, but the FDA has yet to explain whether this would be enough to keep up with the rapid growth of online pharmacies. Clinton also proposed raising civil fines as high as$500,000 for pharmacies and pharmacists who violate state and federal drug laws, and he proposed giving the FDA administrative subpoena authority. Several members of Congress have proposed their own legislation, and last year Democrats on the House Commerce Committee asked the General Accounting Office to investigate online pharmacies. This paper will consider the current laws governing online pharmacies (to the limited extent the state of the law can be discerned), the practical limits of traditional regulation and enforcement, and possible legal and regulatory responses to online pharmacies

Internet Pharmacies: Cyberspace versus the Regulatory State

The unique qualities of e-commerce make it difficult to regulate under any circumstances, but the growth of online pharmacies in particular is far outpacing the ability of government officials to investigate and enforce existing drug laws. In 1999, Americans spent an estimated $44 million purchasing prescription drugs from online pharmacies, a figure that is projected to reach$1 billion per year by 2003. In December of 1999, President Clinton proposed $10 million in new funding for the FDA to regulate Internet pharmacies and hire 100 new employees, but the FDA has yet to explain whether this would be enough to keep up with the rapid growth of online pharmacies. Clinton also proposed raising civil fines as high as$500,000 for pharmacies and pharmacists who violate state and federal drug laws, and he proposed giving the FDA administrative subpoena authority. Several members of Congress have proposed their own legislation, and last year Democrats on the House Commerce Committee asked the General Accounting Office to investigate online pharmacies. This paper will consider the current laws governing online pharmacies (to the limited extent the state of the law can be discerned), the practical limits of traditional regulation and enforcement, and possible legal and regulatory responses to online pharmacies

Ethical review procedures in international internet-based intervention studies

International internet-based studies could be accessible by participants from various countries worldwide. However, the jurisdiction of research ethics committees (RECs) or institutional review boards (IRBs) is bound to geographical state or country borders. How can researchers deal with the geographical boundaries in the jurisdiction of RECs/IRBs versus the worldwide, open character of international internet-based research? Should ethical approval be sought in each country where participants will be recruited? In this paper, we want to share our challenges in setting up the ethical review procedures in an international internet-based mHealth intervention study, to further the discussion on ethical procedures in internet-based research

Multi-State, Quasi-Experimental Study of the Impact of Internet-Based, On-Demand Professional Learning on Student Performance

This multi-State, quasi-experimental study reflects the quantification of comparative gains in math and reading performance on standardized assessments. We contrasted performance in consecutive years pre-versus-post for students of teachers actively participating in an Internet-based, on-demand professional development (PD) program with their respective districts, thus normalizing for uncontrolled educational and socioeconomic variables. A random sample of 169 schools was analyzed representing teachers with a minimum high-participation level in PD.  Results showed that students of participating teachers experienced 18.9% increases (p<.001) in math scores versus 4.2% (p<.01) for their districts, and 15.3% increases (p<.001) in reading versus 2.5% (p<.01) for their districts, equating to statistically significant 4.2 fold (p>.001) and 6.1 (p>.001) fold advantages, respectively. Findings support the high-participation use of Internet-based, on-demand professional learning for improving teacher effectiveness to impact student performance. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v2i4.393

For Your Eyes-Only: United States Internet Privacy Laws Play Catch-Up With The European Union Data Directive

Global electronic commerce, driven by the development of the Internet, promises to be a key engine of growth in this century.  One of the most contentious issues facing businesses today is the ownership and use of personal data.  Europe has taken the lead in this area with a comprehensive approach, the European Union Data Directive, that became effective in 1998.  This paper compares the European Union approach to Internet privacy with that of the United States.  In comparing the two, the paper includes a brief discussion of current legislation under both approaches and also discusses critical issues in the debate for Internet privacy, including state-directed legislation vs. self-regulation, corporate privacy statements, and the opt-in versus opt-out approaches to consumer protection.  The paper offers perspectives on whether the United States will adopt new Internet privacy legislation, and on the feasibility and repercussions of maintaining the current approach

Sustaining Student Gains From Online On-Demand Professional Development

A multi-State, quasi-experimental study was conducted as a longitudinal, two-year follow-up of participation in an online, on-demand professional development (PD) program.  The purpose was to ascertain whether student gains were sustained in a second year of PD participation.  Data verified gains in Year 1 versus Pre-PD baseline, with continued gains in Year 2 atop those achieved in year 1 of PD participation, reflecting a positive trend and continued advantage over non-PD schools in the same districts.  Results showed that student in PD schools gained 7.7% (p<.01) more in Math in year 2 atop 18.9% (p<.001) gains from year 1, versus gains of 0.5% (ns) and 4.2% (p<.01) for non-PD schools in the same districts.  Similarly, students in the PD schools gained 10.2% (p<.01) more in Reading in year 2 atop 18.9% (p<.001) gains from year 1, versus gains of 0.5% (ns) and 4.2% (p<.01) for non-PD schools in the same districts.  Total gains from baseline for PD schools were 28.1% (p<0.001) in Math for PD schools versus 4.7% (p<0.01) for the same districts collectively, and 30.2% (p<0.001) in Reading for PD schools versus 6.0% (p<0.01) for the same districts collectively.  Findings support the high-participation use of Internet-based, on-demand professional learning for improving teacher effectiveness and sustained impacts on student performance

The Effectiveness of Electronic Work Groups for Student Cases

During the last two years in the case based, upper level undergraduate Management Information Systems Course that I teach, I have included segments in the course to provide opportunities for the students to use the Internet: (1) email for distribution of course assignments and (2) gopher and World Wide Web browers to find information to supplement case work. As a result of a call from a distribution list, I volunteered my class to participate in collaborative case work using the Internet with universities in Canada, United States, and Mexico: University of Washington, University of Nebraska -Lincoln, University of Oregon, Rowan College, University of Idaho, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, McGill University, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Stephen F. Austin State University, University of Prince Edward Island. Three cases were considered by the faculty at these universities and finally a case about Microsoft Corporation was selected and questions to be answered were agreed upon. At these universities, the students were either taking an organizational strategy course oran MIS course. In this paper, the process of establishing these collaborative, Internet case groups is discussed. Also the students rated their experience using the Internet case group versus a face-to-face case group they used for a later case assignment about Sun Microsystems