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Understanding Prescription Drug Takers

Clients have asked us to detail the characteristics of consumers taking specific branded drugs. We've examined the data to find key attitudinal and demographic differences among users of statins and antidepressants, and a forthcoming piece will explore allergy medication users. We've also looked at the price sensitivity and brand loyalty of Rx takers in general.

Some results? Two-thirds of Rx takers would switch to a similar drug to save $20 per month. Unfortunately for GlaxoSmithKline, only 23% of Wellbutrin users agree that they would not switch from a drug that works for them to try a generic. Meanwhile, statin users show greater loyalty to branded drugs than antidepressant users. Thirty-five percent of Lipitor users agree that they would not switch to a generic. Some other highlights: Crestor users lead other statin takers in online health research, while Effexor, Lexapro, and Wellbutrin takers show similar tech uptake but varying media use.

Regional Health Information Organizations' Modest Start

Regional health information organizations (RHIOs) are starting to gain traction. Despite fizzling in the early '90s, clinical connectivity is hot again. In May 2004, the Bush administration created the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONCHIT), making the construction of a national health information infrastructure a federal initiative. Dr. Brailer's team has made some important inroads, but the reality is that we are still in the early days of RHIO experimentation and challenges. We've talked to dozens of organizations and found seven that are moving patient data between provider institutions in the context of care delivery and serving a broad cross-section of competing provider institutions.

These early RHIOs emerged over the past decade and today serve regional populations ranging from 350,000 to 3.9 million. Cincinnati's HealthBridge covers 17 million medical records and uses a clinical message architecture model -- one of the three models emerging from the group of seven RHIOs. Challenges certainly remain for getting to a national network, affecting all healthcare stakeholders differently.

Pharma Faces Privacy Challenges On The Road To RFID Adoption

In this piece of Client Choice research, we explore the privacy challenges that arise with RFID. Privacy pitfalls come in the form of strengthened consumer protection laws, not to mention privacy advocates and media attention. What does this mean for pharma? Redirect the privacy debate. Among other things, publicize cross-industry privacy protection accomplishments and measure and promote RFID's benefits to patient safety.

Are Health Plans Ignoring The Individual Market?

Approximately one-third of the uninsured are actively looking for health insurance. Are plans making the most of the individual market? We've spoken to health plan executives and have found that their investments in online sales technologies are not going to meet demand. Only eight out of 15 plan execs said that an individual could complete the application process for health insurance online. For starters, plans should prioritize quoting and rating engines to expedite the underwriting process.

Health Plan Member Service Deconstructed

Health plan service channels are getting low marks from members. Customer service reps garner the highest satisfaction ratings, but still fail to please more than half of the members dialing for support -- only 23% are satisfied with online chat. While pleasing members isn't an easy task from the start, health plans exacerbate industry hurdles to delivering member-service satisfaction because they lack a strategic focus on creating a positive member experience. This results in a fragmented user experience, causing members to duplicate efforts across channels. We outline the strategies that plans should take to create a brand-building user experience.

We are very interested in your feedback on our research. Do you have topics to recommend, data you would like to have, or technologies you want assessed? Drop me a line at bradholmes@forrester.com so we can connect.


Brad Holmes
VP and Practice Leader,
Healthcare and Life Sciences

Research Referenced In This Issue Antidepressant Takers Are Empowered Health Consumers (38680) Are Health Plans Ignoring The Individual Market? (37636) Drug Costs Trump Brand Loyalty For Most Rx Takers (38021) Exposing Differences Among Statin Drug Customers (38626) Health Plan Member Service Deconstructed (36803) New FDA Labeling Rule Will (One Day) Improve Drug Safety (38855) Pharma Faces Privacy Challenges On The Road To RFID Adoption (38992) Regional Health Information Organizations' Modest Start (37419)

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