Healthy Skepticism Library item: 114

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

One in Four Americans Discuss Costs of Medicines With Doctor
Wall Street Journal 2004 Feb 11

Full text:

Seventy percent of American adults got a least one prescription last year, but less than half of them discussed with their doctor the pros and cons of the prescribed drug, according to a recent poll from The Wall Street Journal Online and Harris Interactive.

To be sure, how much certain drugs cost surely ranks high with Americans.

But only one in four adults say they discussed the costs of different prescription drugs with their doctors. And just one in seven Americans say they received a prescription for a cheaper medicine.

Here are the results of the latest poll:

“ Has a doctor prescribed a prescription drug for you at any time in the last twelve months?

“ Did you have any discussion with your doctor during the last twelve months about the pros and cons of different prescription drugs which he/she might prescribe for you?

“ As part of these discussions during the last twelve months, have you discussed the different costs to you of different drugs which he/she might prescribe?

“ At any time in the last twelve months, has your doctor prescribed one drug rather than another drug for you because it would be less expensive for you?

Base: All Adults

Doctor prescribed a drug for me in last year 70%

Discussed with doctor pros and cons of different drugs he/she might prescribe 43

As part of these discussions, discussed the different costs of different drugs 23

Doctor prescribed one drug rather than another because it was less expensive 14

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Methodology: This survey was conducted online in the U.S. between Feb. 2 and 4, 2004, among a cross section of 2,238 adults. Figures for age, gender, race, ethnicity, education, income and region were weighted where necessary to align with population proportions. Propensity score weighting also was used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online. Harris estimates the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus three percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult population had been polled with complete accuracy.