Pharmacists trusted less
November 26, 2013
A new survey of people taking
prescription medications has found
that patients overwhelmingly
prefer doctors to pharmacists when
it comes to being a “trustworthy
source of information”.
The wide-ranging poll also found
that Australians “overwhelmingly
value the PBS system, support R&D
and are concerned about delays
in accessing new medicines,”
according to Medicines Australia.
The Galaxy survey of almost
2,000 people was sponsored by
research firm Ethical Strategies and
the Pharma Dispatch journal, and
found that 51% of people surveyed
take a prescription medicine daily
- equivalent to 9 million adult
Australians.
That figure increased to 81%
among those aged 65 or more.
86% of those on medication
think the PBS is a good investment
of taxpayer dollars, while 80%
said they were concerned about
reports of delays in accessing new
medicines in Australia compared
with other countries.
60% also said they believed that
pharmaceutical R&D will improve
the treatment of their condition in
the future.
MA ceo Brendan Shaw said “This
survey shows that the medicines
industry’s concerns about
protecting the PBS and ensuring
new medicines are made available
quickly are shared by the Australian
community.
“When 86% of people say that
the PBS is a good use of taxpayers’
money, this is a strong signal
that the community supports the
current scheme,” he said.
Shaw went on to say that there is
a broad concern about missing out
on new medicines, particularly for
those treating debilitating diseases
such as cancer, diabetes and rare
diseases, compared to other
countries.
He said this suggests that
Australians “value the $1 billion
invested in R&D each year by the
Australian medicines industry.”
Interestingly, the study also found
that 96% of patients were confident
their condition is being effectively
managed, while 60% would
recommend their prescription
medicine to friends or family.
And two thirds of patients
considered their doctor to be
the “most trustworthy source of
information” - compared to just
18% who trusted their pharmacists
the most.
82% of patients also confirmed
they had recently been asked
whether they would like the
generic form of their medication.
CLICK HERE to view the survey.
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