Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7930

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Conlan MF.
Consumers speak out
Drug Topics 2000 Mar 20; 144:71-72, 74, 77-78, 81

Abstract:

To examine consumer attitudes toward herbals, Internet pharmacies, direct to consumer (DTC) ads, and their own pharmacists, a survey of 460 consumers from all over the United States was conducted. Very few respondents said they had ever ordered herbal products from an online pharmacy. Regular patrons of chain pharmacies were more likely to have bought herbals than were those whose usual pharmacy was a supermarket, mass merchandiser, or independent. Just 3% of respondents said they had ever ordered products from electronic pharmacies on the Internet. Only half of respondents felt that DTC ads served a useful purpose for consumers. Overall, consumers were pleased with the service they received from the pharmacy that filled most of their prescriptions.