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What Patients and Consumers Want – MS&L Germany Health Survey
According to a survey conducted by MS&L Germany and TNS Healthcare, 60% of the German public would like the local information ban on Rx medications to be lifted, and approximately two out of three Germans want more information about pharmaceutical products.
According to a healthcare survey conducted by MS&L Germany, 60% of the German public agrees to a liberalization of the information ban on Rx medications and approximately two out of three Germans want more information about pharmaceutical products. The survey was conducted in conjunction with TNS Healthcare in Q1 2007 and surveyed 1,003 interviewees 14 years of age and over.
The survey also found that females more strongly prefer the liberalization of information than males, and the level of agreement to lifting the ban rises with the increase in monthly net income. “Regardless of the differences between men and women or factors like the monthly net income of interviewees, the trend is obvious: Germans want to more freely access relevant information about Rx medications, and they want information from a variety of sources,” says Michael Martell, managing director of MS&L Germany.
The results of the survey show today’s lack of information in the larger part of the population. As people wish to be more informed about medicines, this also implies a big challenge and responsibility for the implementation of communication about pharmaceutical products. With the growing burden for patients to cover healthcare costs themselves, they should be given the possibility to access the information about their condition and medications. “Experience from other countries clearly demonstrates that responsible information transfer from the pharmaceutical industry to the patient is not only possible, but that it is also appreciated by the public,” Martell concludes.