Survey Also Probes Effects of Economy on Prescription Purchases,
Use of the Internet for Health Research, and Ways to Improve Prescription
Dispensing
VALLEY FORGE, Pa., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the ongoing pharmacist
shortage, pharmacists still enjoy strong support from their customers,
according to the latest AmerisourceBergen Index(R), a quarterly survey of
trends, purchasing behaviors and opinions about pharmacists and their
customers that was released today.
In fact, eight in 10 adults said they would recommend their pharmacist or
pharmacy to friends or family members. And 56 percent said they were more
satisfied today with the service they receive from their local pharmacies than
they were a few years ago.
Interestingly, despite the reach and impact of the Internet, nearly half
the respondents said they don't use it to research health or medical topics.
Just 16 percent said they use the Internet "a lot" for health and medication
research. Health-related web research was somewhat higher among females and
18-to-24-year-olds (20 percent and 23 percent respectively). Twenty-nine
percent of all respondents said they use the Internet on an occasional basis
to research health and prescription medication information.
The survey of 1,014 adults nationwide explored a variety of issues related
to the retail pharmacy industry including pharmacy automation, the use of the
Internet to research health and medication information, ways to improve
prescription dispensing, and what people like most about their local
pharmacies.
Technologies To Help Pharmacists and Customers
What's the best way to address the current pharmacist shortage? Thirty-
five percent of respondents chose electronic solutions -- such as pharmacy
automation and electronic verification of prescriptions and insurance coverage
-- as the top way to solve this problem. Similarly, the number one choice for
making it easier to pick up a prescription was having the physician transmit
it directly to the pharmacy. Next on the "prescription-ease" wish list was
technology that could guarantee prescriptions were filled within five to 10
minutes.
Prescriptions and the Economy
Has a weak economy and high unemployment affected people's abilities to
purchase prescription medications? Eleven percent of respondents said they
had been forced to forego the purchase of prescription medications because of
the economy. This number was higher among 55-to-64-year-olds, with 18 percent
of older Americans answering "yes" to this question. Conversely, 87 percent
of all respondents and 90 percent of 25-to-54-year-olds said the economy had
not affected their ability to purchase prescription medications.
Location, Location, Location
As in previous AmerisourceBergen Index surveys, location topped the list
of what people like best about their pharmacies. The pharmacist was the
second choice. This was followed by: accepting a customer's insurance plan
and quick service. Prices and product selection were mentioned by few
customers as what they like most about their pharmacies, with only 7 percent
and 3 percent, respectively, selecting these.
Multiple Medication Punch Cards
The AmerisourceBergen Index also asked people if they would be willing to
pay a small fee for punch card dispensing if they or someone they cared for
took multiple medications on a daily basis, instead of having to handle
several different bottles of medications each day. More than half answered
yes. This option was even more popular among 18-to-44-year-olds, with over 60
percent in this age group in favor of punch card dispensing.
SARS Concerns Barely Register
What do people consider the most important health issue in the United
States today? Obesity. This was followed by cancer, drug and alcohol abuse,
heart disease, AIDS, smoking and diabetes. Despite significant news coverage,
SARS was at the bottom of the list -- chosen by only 1 percent of respondents.
Survey Methodology
The quarterly telephone survey was conducted from June 5-8, 2003 by
Opinion Research Corporation on behalf of AmerisourceBergen, the largest
pharmaceutical services company in the United States dedicated solely to the
pharmaceutical supply channel. The margin of error is plus or minus three
percent.
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, physician's offices, alternate care
and mail order facilities, independent community pharmacies, and regional
chain pharmacies. The Company is also a leader in the long term care pharmacy
and workers' compensation fulfillment marketplaces. With more than
$40 billion in annualized operating revenue, AmerisourceBergen is
headquartered in Valley Forge, PA, and employs more than 13,000 people.
AmerisourceBergen is ranked #24 on the Fortune 500 list and was ranked #6 in
the 2003 Business Week 50, a list of the 50 best performing companies in the
S & P 500. For more information, go to www.amerisourcebergen.com.
SOURCE AmerisourceBergen
-0- 07/17/2003
/CONTACT: Barbara Brungess of AmerisourceBergen, +1-610-727-7199,
[email protected]; or Iris Raylesberg of Kapnek Communications,
+1-215-830-9890, [email protected], for AmerisourceBergen/
/Web site: http://www.amerisourcebergen.com /
(ABC)
CO: AmerisourceBergen
ST: Pennsylvania
IN: MTC HEA MLM CPR
SU: SVY ECO
DP
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6370 07/17/2003 10:30 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com