Protecting Privacy and Enabling Pharmaceutical Sales on the Internet: A Comparative Analysis of the United States and Canada

The Internet raises enhanced and unique concerns regarding informational health privacy and Internet pharmacy sales. As technology advances and the Internet changes the way people obtain medical services and products, protecting consumers and their informational health data in online pharmaceutical transactions is paramount. This Comment charts and compares the existing legal frameworks in the United States and Canada relative to informational health privacy. Following this discussion, each legal framework comes into sharp focus with regard to Internet pharmacy sales. Ultimately, this Comment concludes that based on the highly sensitive nature of personal medical information, a baseline privacy standard should be adopted at the federal level to provide consumers with meaningful protection and redress. To realize the benefits of online pharmaceutical transactions, there should be national standards for licensure, as well as continued tough enforcement of laws targeting rogue Web site operators, enabling this valuable medium to flourish