Directions:
Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of
the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.
Online
Pharmacy (药店):
A Foreseeable Trend
Online pharmacies may replace corner
drugstores in the future, which would be of benefit to all of us. Sadly,
current Federal Drug Administration (FDA) restrictions prevent many Americans
from gaining access to the medicines they require online. Fortunately, online
pharmacies offer these drugs and provide patients with more treatment options
at lower prices. Those calling for the restrictions are wrong. Online
pharmacies are crucial to numerous people.
While some drugs sold online aren't
FDA-approved, customers shouldn't be prevented from buying them. Many of the
herbal remedy (草药)
online pharmacies offer have been used for hundreds of years, especially in
Asian countries, and they have strong safety records. Other medicines may come
from foreign countries, but they aren't harming the people who use them in
their own countries. Take depression pills as an example. It has been used
safely for many years in France and other European countries, yet it's just now
being tested in the U.S.
Nowadays, just getting in to see a doctor
seems to take forever, not to mention the time and money to get tests done and
await the results. Thanks to the Internet, customers now know more about
available medicines than ever before and are therefore able to take them
without having to consult a doctor. The Internet, after all, is filled with
information about all kinds of drugs. Much of it has even been written by
doctors and pharmaceutical companies themselves.
Another issue to consider is money. Health
care costs in America are rising every year, and pharmaceutical companies are
making billions. Online pharmacies typically sell their drugs at lower prices
than hospital pharmacies and corner drugstores. Consumers shouldn't be blamed
for seeking cheaper alternatives and refusing to line the pockets of already
wealthy companies and stores.