Americans Want to Know More About Their Medicine

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Americans Want to Know More About Their Medicine:

Half of Those With Internet Access Search Online for Drug Information

June 9, 2000 Reuters Health Information

http://www.drkoop.com/news/stories/june/r/drug_checking.html?nl=dkc & sct=main & dt=\

062000

NEW YORK -- More than three quarters of Americans say they are concerned

about understanding the prescription medications they take, and among

those who use the Internet, about half have searched there for

information about their prescriptions, according to recently conducted

surveys.

While most consumers find the printed information that comes with their

prescriptions helpful, easy to understand and complete, almost half say

that they usually or always look for more information than what is

provided in these drug manufacturer inserts. About half also turn to

their doctor or pharmacist for additional information, and about

one-third use the Internet and/or a reference book.

A series of three surveys were conducted for the American Society of

Health-System Pharmacists to find out how the general public gets

information about prescription medications. Each survey included 1,000

adults.

A surprising 93 percent of respondents in the first survey said they

usually read the printed material that comes with their prescription

drugs, if it is provided. Although 87 percent of these said that in

general this information is complete, 30 percent felt that not enough

information about drug interactions was included.

In the second survey, which focused on Internet users, 76 percent said

they had searched online for health information of some kind, and 48

percent of those said they had searched for information about

prescription drugs. More than half reported that they found the

information from their search very helpful, and 44 percent said that

they put " a lot of trust " in the prescription drug information they

found online.

Fewer Internet users reported finding very helpful information about

over-the-counter drugs or herbal products and alternative medicines, and

fewer placed a lot of trust in the information they did find for these

products.

Internet users appear to consider the source of health information on

the Web -- 74 percent reported that they trusted information from

national nonprofit health or health professional associations, while

only 56 percent placed the same degree of trust in commercial health

news sites. Only 30 percent trusted information from the drug

manufacturer.

Although 46 percent of the general public surveyed said they usually or

always looked for more information about their prescription drugs than

was included in the insert, only 27 percent said they would be likely to

buy a reference book for home use. About half said they would like to

see consumer drug information both in a reference book and on the

Internet, and more than half said they would most trust such information

authored by a nonprofit association of pharmacists, as opposed to a

doctor or pharmacist.

Overall, most of the people surveyed reported that they know a lot about

the prescription drugs they take, and that they were able to find more

information about these drugs when they wanted it.