OTC Information: Labeling Demands and Beyond

Cady

Health Marketing Quarterly

2001

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of consumer involvement on information processing from over-the-counter (OTC) medication labels. A sample of 256 students evaluated simulated OTC product labels for two product categories (headache and cold) in random order. Each participant evaluated labels after reading a scenario to simulate high and low involvement respectively. A questionnaire was used to collect data on variables such as label comprehension, attitude-towards-product label, product evaluation, and purchase intention. The results indicate that when consumers are involved in their purchase of OTC medications they are significantly more likely to understand information from the label and evaluate it accordingly. However, involvement does not affect attitude-towards-product label nor does it enhance purchase intention.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumer Involvement

Cady

Health Marketing Quarterly

2001

“…Palmer (1990) stated that the self-care trend and the use of OTC medications, a highly cost efficient and beneficial approaches to medical care, needs encouragement. In the U S .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

How the Elderly and Young Adults Differ in the Decision Making Process of Nonprescription Medication Purchases

Health Marketing Quarterly

Cady

1996

The study compared elderly and young adults in their behavior and involvement in the decision making process of over-the-counter (OTC) medication purchases. Elderly subjects were more involved in the decision making process to purchase OTC medications compared to young adults. The elderly not only purchase and spend more money on medications but also read OTC labels completely. They requested help from the pharmacist more frequently than young adults. Needs of the elderly in making an OTC medication purchase were different compared to young adults. The two age groups differed on importance rating for several attributes regarding OTC medications, such as; ease of opening the package, child resistant package, side effects of medicine, manufacturer of medicine, print size on package labels, and greater choice of medicine.

Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics

Pharmacy consultation and over-the-counter medication purchasing outcomes

Robison

1996

A demonstration project was conducted within 23 community pharmacies located throughout the state of Washington to: (1) assess the effects of pharmacy consultation on over-the-counter (OTC) medication purchasing decisions and costs, (2) to identify factors influencing those intending to purchase a brand name medication to change to a generic or private label product, or to a different brand name product, and (3) to quantify prevented adverse medication outcomes. Pharmacy students in their final year of training provided consultation to 745 consumers intending to purchase an OTC product. The consultations averaged 4.6 min in length, and resulted in 42.6% of consumers changing their intended purchase. These changes reduced OTC expenditures by an average of US $1.53 per customer, primarily as a result of movement from brand name products to lower priced generic or private label equivalents. Nearly 8% of consumers made no purchase after consultation, and 4.3% were referred to a physician. Logistic regression analysis identified gender of the consultant being female (odds ratio = 3.87, 95% CI = 1.58-9.45), and an increasing length of consultation (odds ratio = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.08-1.57) as being significant factors influencing consumers to change their final purchase from a brand name OTC product to a generic or private label, or to a different brand name product. Potential adverse outcomes (disease-medication interaction; medication-medication interaction; additive side-effects; or duplication in therapeutic category) were prevented in 7.1% of the study population. This study documents consumer need for pharmacy consultation in order to optimize both the therapeutic appropriateness of, and pharmaceutical expenditures for OTC medication.