AmerisourceBergen Index Focuses on Top Government Healthcare Priorities, Pharmacy Services, Mail Order Prescriptions and Other Topics
Forty percent of respondents chose this as the top solution for insuring
accuracy in prescriptions. Typewritten -- as opposed to handwritten --
prescriptions from pharmacists landed in second place, with 34 percent of
respondents selecting this option. Having pharmacists check prescriptions placed
third, with 21 percent of those polled.
These findings were revealed in the latest AmerisourceBergen Index, which
surveyed 1,012 people nationwide on a range of topics including what the
government's top healthcare priorities should be, the use of mail order
prescriptions, and the kinds of health services consumers would like to see in
their local pharmacies. The quarterly survey was conducted by Opinion Research
Corporation on behalf of AmerisourceBergen, the largest pharmaceutical services
company in the United States dedicated solely to the pharmaceutical supply
chain.
Universal Healthcare Insurance Tops List
Health coverage for uninsured Americans topped the list of health priorities,
with 32 percent of respondents saying this should be the primary healthcare
focus of the federal government over the next several months. Eliminating
diseases, such as cancer, AIDS and heart disease, came in next -- at 29 percent.
Twenty-seven percent of those surveyed selected Medicare drug benefits for
senior citizens.
Among respondents over 65 years of age, 50 percent chose the Medicare drug
benefit as their top choice. Twenty-three percent of those in that group
reported that they had failed to fulfill a prescription on account of cost.
Interestingly, two of the younger groups surveyed were more likely than those
over 65 to have not filled a prescription on account of cost: 36 percent of
those ages 25-34 and 33 percent of those 35-44. The youngest age groups also
strongly favored the government focusing on providing healthcare coverage for
all Americans and eliminating diseases over providing a Medicare drug benefit
for seniors.
A look at the average prescription co-pay revealed that 42 percent of
respondents were paying $10.00 or less for the average prescription. Twenty-
eight percent reported they were paying between $11.00 and $20.00. Eleven
percent of respondents said they had no prescription drug coverage.
What Services Should Pharmacies Provide
Cholesterol testing was once again at the top of a list of health services
respondents said they would most like to see in their local pharmacies, with
nearly one-third selecting this as their first choice. Next was diabetes
testing, chosen by 25 percent of those surveyed. The third and fourth most
popular health services were disease control information (13 percent) and
dietary or weight counseling (12 percent).
When presented with a list of other services that could be offered by local
pharmacies, health infomercials trounced other options, such as free food and
exercise classes. Twenty-nine percent of respondents preferred to watch TV while
waiting for prescriptions to be filled. Free coffee, snacks and refreshments
tied with exercise classes for second place, at 17 percent, while contests and
prize drawings, and gourmet take-out food landed at the bottom -- at seven
percent and four percent, respectively.
Despite the perceived convenience of staying in your car to pick up a
prescription refill, drive-thru pharmacy windows do not appear to be a big draw
for the majority of survey respondents. Forty-six percent of those surveyed said
they would not use a drive-thru window at all for prescription refills. Just
over one-third said they would use it "all the time," while 14 percent said they
would use it only in inclement weather.
On another convenience question, the majority of respondents (52 percent) said
their physician's office was the easiest place for them to go for immunizations.
Pharmacies came in next at 21 percent, followed by outpatient clinics at 18
percent, and hospitals at seven percent.
Mail Order Use Differs by Region
Nineteen percent of respondents say that they have used mail order to renew
prescriptions. Mail order usage was fairly consistent among respondents from the
North Central, South, and West Regions of the United States, with 22 percent, 20
percent, and 23 percent respectively responding that they have used mail order
to renew prescriptions. However, only 12 percent of the respondents from the
Northeast region of the US said that they have used mail order.
When asked who they would consult with questions about medications if they were
to use mail order for refills, more than half the respondents (51 percent) said
they would consult their physicians. Twenty-six percent said they would call
their local pharmacist if they had questions or concerns about prescription
refills, even though the prescription was filled elsewhere. Only six percent
said they would contact the mail order service -- a response that came in just
above "friends and family" (5 percent), continuing to demonstrate the importance
of the local pharmacist.
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, alternate care and mail order facilities, independent
community pharmacies, and regional chain pharmacies. The Company is also a
leader in the institutional pharmacy marketplace. With more than $39 billion in
annualized operating revenue, 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 iris@kapnek.com, for AmerisourceBergen
(ABC)