Survey Focuses on Government Health Priorities, Ways to Finance Prescription Plan for Seniors, and How to Handle Prescription Fraud
That's according to the AmerisourceBergen Index, which polled 1,039 people
nationwide on a range of topics including the kinds of health screening programs
pharmacists should offer customers, how pharmacists should investigate
potentially fraudulent prescriptions and other subjects. The quarterly survey
was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation International on behalf of
AmerisourceBergen, the largest pharmaceutical services company in the United
States dedicated solely to the pharmaceutical supply chain.
Handling Fraudulent Prescriptions
Survey respondents were also asked what pharmacists should do when confronted
with a prescription that they suspect may be fraudulent. Nearly three-quarters
(73%) said the pharmacist should contact the doctor to confirm the
prescription's authenticity. Only 10 percent said they should refuse to fill the
prescription and 7 percent said the pharmacist should call the police or
question the patient.
Selecting a Pharmacy
Why choose a particular pharmacy? As in past AmerisourceBergen Indexes conducted
in 2001, convenience beat out other options, with 34 percent of respondents
selecting this answer. Next were accepting a person's insurance card (25%),
competitive pricing (14%) and staff availability and knowledge (13%). And while
consumers expressed confidence about the quality of the medications purchased in
the United States, their faith did not carry over to prescription products
purchased outside the country via the Internet. Nearly nine out of ten
respondents (87%) said they would not purchase prescription drugs from another
country over the Internet.
The majority of consumers expressed confidence in generic medications, with more
than three-quarters of respondents in a survey released today saying they are
just as effective as their brand-name counterparts. The same held true for
store-brand nonprescription products. More than half the survey respondents
(56%) said they would choose a lower-priced, store-brand medication over a
brand-name over-the-counter product.
Screening Program Preferences
Lastly, consumers were asked what screening programs they would like to see at
their local pharmacies. Blood pressure and cholesterol screenings led the list
at 27 percent and 22 percent, respectively. Next were diabetes screenings (16%),
vision or glaucoma exams (10%), and bone density screenings (7%).
About the AmerisourceBergen Index
The AmerisourceBergen Index is a quarterly survey of trends, purchasing
behaviors and opinions about pharmacists and their customers. The first survey
was conducted in May 2001.
About AmerisourceBergen
AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) is the largest pharmaceutical services company in
the United States dedicated solely to the pharmaceutical supply chain. It is the
leading distributor of pharmaceutical products and services to the hospital
systems/acute care market, alternative care facilities, independent community
pharmacies, and regional chains. The Company is also a leader in the
institutional pharmacy marketplace. With approximately $35 billion in annualized
operating revenues, AmerisourceBergen is headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and
employs more than 13,000 people serving over 25,000 customers.
SOURCE AmerisourceBergen
CONTACT: Michael N. Kilpatric of AmerisourceBergen, +1-610-727-7118, or
+1-610-727-7119, or mkilpatric@amerisource.com; or Iris Raylesberg of Kapnek
Communications, +1-215-830-9890 or irisr@voicenet.com, for AmerisourceBergen