The study was designed to explore both physician and consumer perceptions of OTCs, the sources of information used when making treatment selections, and the role of the physician in consumer use of OTC medications.
AccentHealth, a leading patient education media company at the point-of-care, with best-in-class consultative research and sophisticated analytics, commissioned Encuity Research to conduct the physician component of the study.
Research was gathered through an online survey of 150 physicians and AccentHealth’s Consumer Connections panel, comprised of approximately 8,000 viewers who have opted in to participate in research with AccentHealth following exposure to the AccentHealth doctor office waiting room television. Key findings from the study include:
– Nine out of ten AccentHealth viewers use OTC medications
– Half of those indicate they use OTC medications "always" or "often"
The study further shows that with the ever growing selection of OTC medicines available to consumers, treatment decisions are increasingly more complex. The physician’s role is becoming even more vital as consumers are turning to their doctors for information and guidance.
Although OTCs are frequently characterized as "self-care," research shows that consumers most commonly look to healthcare practitioners – over friends and family, pharmacists and the Web – for information on OTCs:
– 67 percent of consumers look to their physicians for information on OTC treatments and usage
– 44 percent of consumers consider healthcare practitioners to be their most trusted source of information
The study finds that there is a significant amount of Doctor/Patient discussion regarding OTC medications and the outcome for the patient is often an OTC treatment recommendation from his/her physician. In fact, 90 percent of consumers report that they have received a physician recommendation for an OTC medication and, among those, 9 in 10 report they typically comply with their doctors’ suggestions and purchase the OTC recommended to them.
"Our study confirms that with the myriad of OTC medications available to consumers, the physician’s guidance is becoming increasingly important to ensure that consumers are educated on their options and able to make the best decisions for themselves and their families," said Natalie Hill, Vice President, Insights and Analytics, AccentHealth.