Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system

BackgroundIn recent years, purchasing medications online has become increasingly popular. However, occasional quality issues have arisen with drugs bought online. As a result, we need effective quality monitoring of medicines sold online. To address this issues, several countries have begun to imple...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zongliang Wen, Jialin Chen, Li Zhou, Long Bai, Shenqin Wu, Yun Zhao, Jinhua Fang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-04-01
Series:Frontiers in Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1457340/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849739614505402368
author Zongliang Wen
Zongliang Wen
Zongliang Wen
Jialin Chen
Li Zhou
Li Zhou
Long Bai
Shenqin Wu
Yun Zhao
Yun Zhao
Jinhua Fang
author_facet Zongliang Wen
Zongliang Wen
Zongliang Wen
Jialin Chen
Li Zhou
Li Zhou
Long Bai
Shenqin Wu
Yun Zhao
Yun Zhao
Jinhua Fang
author_sort Zongliang Wen
collection DOAJ
description BackgroundIn recent years, purchasing medications online has become increasingly popular. However, occasional quality issues have arisen with drugs bought online. As a result, we need effective quality monitoring of medicines sold online. To address this issues, several countries have begun to implement the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) system to enhance drug quality control.MethodsConsequently, this paper develops a four-party evolutionary game model that includes the government, holder, agent seller and third-party platform in pharmaceutical online sales, and use Matlab 2022b to carry out numerical simulation, and to compare and analyze the influence of different factors on the strategy selection of the main body of the game by changing parameters. This paper is based on the multi-party game perspective, constructed a hierarchical model, thereby better exploring the mechanism of drug quality regulation in the context of drug online sales under the MAH system.ResultsFindings suggest that reducing operational costs motivates agent sellers to adopt stable, honest strategies. Increased government penalties expedite the adoption of positive strategies by sellers, holders, and third-party platforms. Enhanced penalties from holders and platforms for defaults effectively regulate seller behavior. Additionally, reputation rewards or losses incentivize sellers to adopt honest practices, with consumer and sellers' reputations influencing the likelihood of comprehensive third-party platform reviews.ConclusionsIn summary, policy makers should improve the regulatory mechanism, establish a fair system of rewards and penalties, develop a compensation mechanism for information sharing, deregulate prices and enhancing feedback channels.
format Article
id doaj-art-91f798e15c1c46e39443eb007cd7cf0b
institution DOAJ
issn 2296-2565
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Public Health
spelling doaj-art-91f798e15c1c46e39443eb007cd7cf0b2025-08-20T03:06:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-04-011310.3389/fpubh.2025.14573401457340Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH systemZongliang Wen0Zongliang Wen1Zongliang Wen2Jialin Chen3Li Zhou4Li Zhou5Long Bai6Shenqin Wu7Yun Zhao8Yun Zhao9Jinhua Fang10School of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaInstitution of Chinese Health Modernization, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaAffiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, ChinaSchool of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaInstitution of Chinese Health Modernization, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaSchool of Management, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, ChinaBackgroundIn recent years, purchasing medications online has become increasingly popular. However, occasional quality issues have arisen with drugs bought online. As a result, we need effective quality monitoring of medicines sold online. To address this issues, several countries have begun to implement the Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) system to enhance drug quality control.MethodsConsequently, this paper develops a four-party evolutionary game model that includes the government, holder, agent seller and third-party platform in pharmaceutical online sales, and use Matlab 2022b to carry out numerical simulation, and to compare and analyze the influence of different factors on the strategy selection of the main body of the game by changing parameters. This paper is based on the multi-party game perspective, constructed a hierarchical model, thereby better exploring the mechanism of drug quality regulation in the context of drug online sales under the MAH system.ResultsFindings suggest that reducing operational costs motivates agent sellers to adopt stable, honest strategies. Increased government penalties expedite the adoption of positive strategies by sellers, holders, and third-party platforms. Enhanced penalties from holders and platforms for defaults effectively regulate seller behavior. Additionally, reputation rewards or losses incentivize sellers to adopt honest practices, with consumer and sellers' reputations influencing the likelihood of comprehensive third-party platform reviews.ConclusionsIn summary, policy makers should improve the regulatory mechanism, establish a fair system of rewards and penalties, develop a compensation mechanism for information sharing, deregulate prices and enhancing feedback channels.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1457340/fulldrug quality supervisionMAH systemonline sales of drugsevolutionary gamesimulation analysis
spellingShingle Zongliang Wen
Zongliang Wen
Zongliang Wen
Jialin Chen
Li Zhou
Li Zhou
Long Bai
Shenqin Wu
Yun Zhao
Yun Zhao
Jinhua Fang
Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system
Frontiers in Public Health
drug quality supervision
MAH system
online sales of drugs
evolutionary game
simulation analysis
title Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system
title_full Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system
title_fullStr Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system
title_full_unstemmed Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system
title_short Research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the MAH system
title_sort research on the quality supervision strategy of drugs sold on the internet under the mah system
topic drug quality supervision
MAH system
online sales of drugs
evolutionary game
simulation analysis
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1457340/full
work_keys_str_mv AT zongliangwen researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT zongliangwen researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT zongliangwen researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT jialinchen researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT lizhou researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT lizhou researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT longbai researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT shenqinwu researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT yunzhao researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT yunzhao researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem
AT jinhuafang researchonthequalitysupervisionstrategyofdrugssoldontheinternetunderthemahsystem