Discussions Between Doctors and Patients Result in Cheaper Prescription Drugs For One in Seven Adults
February 11 2004 - 9:39AM
PR Newswire (US)
Discussions Between Doctors and Patients Result in Cheaper
Prescription Drugs For One in Seven Adults Doctors Discuss Costs of
Different Drugs with One in Four Adults ROCHESTER, N.Y., Feb. 11
/PRNewswire/ -- According to the results of a recent WallStreet
Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Poll, many millions
of patients discuss the costs of prescription drugs with their
doctors and this often results in their getting a less expensive
prescription. Two in five adults (43%) say they discussed with
their doctors the pros and cons of different prescription drugs
that they might prescribe for them. More than half of these people
(i.e., 23% of all adults) also say that they discussed the
different costs to them of different drugs their doctors might
prescribe. One in seven adults (14%) say their doctor prescribed
one drug rather than another because it was less expensive for
them. "Many health plans have tiered formularies with different
levels of co-pays to encourage the use of lessexpensive drugs.
These data show that when doctors and patients discuss costs,
doctors often prescribe the less expensive drugs, but not always.
As co-pays continue to increase, we expect this trend will grow,"
says Humphrey Taylor, chairman of The Harris Poll(R) at Harris
Interactive. TABLE 1 THE IMPACT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT COST OF DRUGS
ON PRESCRIBING Q: "Has a doctor prescribed a prescription drug for
you at any time in the last 12 months?" Q: "Did you have any
discussion withyour doctor during the last 12 months about the pros
and cons of different prescription drugs which he/she might
prescribe for you?" Q: "As part of these discussions during the
last 12 months, have you discussed the different costs to you of
different drugs which he/she might prescribe?" Q: "At any time in
the last 12 months, has your doctor prescribed one drug rather than
another drug for you because it would be less expensive for you?"
Base: All Adults % Doctor prescribed a drug for me in last year 70
Discussed with doctor pros and cons of different drugs he/she might
prescribe 43 As part of these discussions, discussed the different
costs of different drugs 23 Doctor prescribed one drug rather than
another because it was less expensive 14 Downloadable PDFs of Wall
Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive Health-Care Polls are
posted at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/news/newsletters_wsj.asp
. Harris Interactive(R) Methodology This study was conducted online
within the United States between February 2 and 4, 2004 among a
nationwide cross section of 2,238 adults, ages 18 years and over.
Figures for age, sex, race, education, region and income were
weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual
proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also
used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. In theory,
with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent
certainty that the results have astatistical precision of plus or
minus three percentage points of what they would be if the entire
adult population had been polled with complete accuracy.
Unfortunately, there are several other possible sources of error in
all polls or surveys that are probably more serious than
theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include refusals
to be interviewed (nonresponse), question wording and question
order, interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and
screening (e.g., for likely voters). It is impossible to quantify
the errors that may result from these factors. This online sample
was not a probability sample. These statements conform to the
principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls.
About the Survey The Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive
Health-Care Poll is an exclusive poll that is published in the
award-winning Health Industry Edition of The Wall Street Journal
Online at http://www.wsj.com/health. About The Wall Street Journal
Online The Wall Street Journal Online at WSJ.com, published by Dow
Jones & Company (NYSE: DJ; http://www.dowjones.com/), offers
authoritative analysis, breaking news and commentary from top
industry journalists. Launched in 1996, the Online Journal is
thelargest paid subscription news site on the Web, with more than
689,000 subscribers world-wide. The Online Journal provides
in-depth business news and financial information 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, with insight and analysis, including breaking
business and technology news and analysis from around the world. It
draws on the Dow Jones network of nearly 1,600 reporters and
editors -- the largest staff of business and financial journalists
in the world. For the second consecutive year in 2003,the Online
Journal received a WebAward for the "Best Newspaper Web Site" and
was also cited by Yahoo! Internet Life magazine as the "Best
Business News" site (2002 & 2001). About Dow Jones &
Company In addition to The Wall Street Journal and its
international and online editions, Dow Jones & Company (NYSE:
DJ; dowjones.com) also publishes Barron's and the Far Eastern
Economic Review, Dow Jones Newswires, Dow Jones Indexes and the
Ottaway group of community newspapers. Dow Jones is co-owner with
Reuters Group of Factiva, with Hearst of SmartMoney and with NBC of
the CNBC television operations in Asia and Europe. Dow Jones also
provides news content to CNBC and radio stations in the U.S. About
Harris Interactive(R) Harris Interactive
(http://www.harrisinteractive.com/) is a worldwide market research
and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and for
pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate
market research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A.,
Harris Interactive combines proprietary methodologies and
technology with expertise in predictive, custom and strategic
research. The Company conducts international research through
wholly owned subsidiaries-London-based HI Europe
(http://www.hieurope.com/) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive
Japan-as well as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of
local market- and opinion-research firms, and various U.S. offices.
EOE M/F/D/V To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be
invited to participate in future online surveys, visit
http://www.harrispollonline.com/. DATASOURCE: Harris Interactive
CONTACT: Nicole C. Pyhel of The Wall Street Journal Online,
+1-609-520-4057, ; or Bonnie Hughes, +1-585-214-7541, , or Nancy
Wong, +1-585-214-7316, , both of Harris Interactive Web site:
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/ http://www.hieurope.com/
http://www.harrispollonline.com/ http://www.wsj.com/health
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