Generic drugs prove best-received byhome-delivery pharmacy consumers

Consumers using home delivery for their prescriptions were more likely to choose a lower-cost preferred therapy after a formulary change than those using a retail pharmacy, according to a study that appeared in the December 2007 issue of the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

The study, by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, St. Louis, evaluated consumer behavior after the company recommended a formulary to better position consumers and plan sponsors to take advantage of the availability of generic Zocor (simvastatin) in mid-2006.

More than 200,000 retail and home-delivery consumers were included in the study, which examined the relationship between plan design factors and patient formulary adherence. All consumers in the study were sent a notification letter by mail informing them of the formulary change. The mailing included therapeutic options and materials they could share with their physician as well as a Web site and toll-free number for more information. Home-delivery consumers received additional messaging through refill mailings and an automated outbound call as the change approached. These consumers also received assistance in moving to the lower-cost option after the formulary change.

he study found that more than half (52 percent) of home-delivery consumers chose to switch therapies as compared to one-third (33 percent) of retail consumers. Overall, 42 percent of consumers chose to switch to a formulary statin. Consumers using home delivery were also more likely to use the Web or call into Express Scripts for more information than retail users (50 percent versus 11 percent), which may be partially due to the fact that they use these channels to order their prescriptions.

A portion of the retail consumers were part of a rapid-response program in which they received an education letter by mail about alternative therapy options soon after their first non-formulary statin refill. Receiving this letter increased their likelihood of changing to a lower-cost statin by 28 percent. Other plan design factors positively influencing change included brand preferred and non-preferred co-payment differentials. Interestingly, the study shows co-pay differentials have a greater impact on retail consumers.

Compared to home-delivery consumers with savings opportunities of $15 or less, those in home delivery with a savings opportunity from $31 up to $40 had a 23 percent increase in the likelihood of switching to a preferred statin; for those with savings of $41 and higher the likelihood rose to 59 percent. Among retail consumers, compared to those who would save $10 or less, those with savings from $16 to $20 had a 41 percent increase in the likelihood of switching; those saving $21 or more had an 80 percent increase in the likelihood of switching.

In the case of statins, step therapy increased the likelihood of using formulary agents by 27 percent among both retail and home-delivery consumers. Step therapy encourages first-use of equally effective lower-cost agents. A prior statin change also had an impact on selecting a formulary option, increasing the chances by 84 percent for retail consumers and 23 percent for home-delivery consumers. For more information visit www.express-scripts.com.

For birth control advice, women turn to physicians and the Internet over family and friends

A study by Reston, Va., research company comScore Inc. revealed that women turn most often to the Internet for health information, second only to consulting a physician. Eighty-five percent of women using the Internet have researched women’s health issues online while two out of three (63 percent) have used the Internet specifically to learn about birth control options. The study was designed to help explain how women choose their birth control method, how they view alternative methods and ultimately whether their online activity influences their offline decisions. ComScore surveyed 921 women between the ages of 18 and 44 who had been heterosexually-active in the past six months and had used a form of prescription or over-the-counter birth control.

As for where women age 18-44 turn for health information, 82 percent choose medical professionals (i.e., doctors, pharmacists and health care workers), 60 percent choose the Internet and Web sites, and 51 percent choose friends, family and significant others.

“Traditionally, women have relied on friends, family or a significant other for health-related information, including sexual health and contraception,” says Carolina Petrini, comScore senior vice president. “But today, with the influx of newer-generation birth control methods and non-traditional pill regimens, more and more women are turning to the Internet to sort through the clutter and organize their findings. As is true in many other areas of health care, the consumer has become much more proactive. She wants to be informed of all of her choices, and she is relying on the Internet for answers.”

As the number of women using the Internet for health information increases, the importance of user-generated content (UGC) also becomes vital, providing women with the opportunity to engage in health conversations online. The comScore study evaluated the use and appeal of UGC – such as blogs, forums or chatrooms – among women seeking birth control information online. Study findings showed that a third of respondents have consulted birth control-related UGC, with more than 40 percent being open to the idea.

Results indicate that 42 percent of women age 18-44 have not yet consulted a birth control-related UGC to research birth control options but are open to the idea, 35 percent have previously consulted a birth control-related UGC and 23 percent would not consider using a UGC to research birth control. For more information visit www.comsccore.com.

For Hispanics, issues of importance revolve around the family

Education is the No. 1 issue of importance for Hispanics across the nation, regardless of acculturation, according to a study by FH Hispania, the U.S. network of Hispanic practitioners within communications company Fleishman-Hillard, Miami. The study, Confianza: Hispanic Trust Pulse, also found that teachers and schools are the leading source of information (trusted by 54 percent), followed by different sources of media (trusted by a combined 39 percent).

The FH Hispania research, conducted by Austin, Texas, research company NuStats, polled 1,000 respondents. It revealed that issues affecting the family are the most important to Hispanics, but their prominence varies depending on the respondents’ time in the United States. For first-generation Hispanics, education, child care and crime/security are the leading issues of importance. However, second-generation Hispanics are most concerned about access to health care along with education and crime/security.

“In general, Hispanic adults are very family-centric, so the focus on education and childcare is not a surprise. But what is particularly noteworthy is that the interests of second-generation Hispanics begin to more closely mirror the interests of non-Hispanics,” says Rissig Licha, managing director of FH Hispania.

For non-Hispanics who participated in the study, education and crime and security also ranked among the top three topics of interest. Topics such as access to health care, religion, nutrition/fitness and money/financial planning figured more prominently than for Hispanics.
The study also uncovered that topic experts, media, friends and family, in that order, are the most trusted sources on the top 10 issues of interest among Hispanics.

When it comes to media consumption, the study also found that there is significant crossover in use between English- and Spanish-language media among Hispanic consumers, regardless of their language preference. The research found that only about one-third of participants who predominantly speak Spanish at home consumed all of their broadcast media in Spanish. Consistent with other existing research, the study confirms that television is the leading media source among Hispanics, followed by radio. And while language preference determines whether they watch or listen to Spanish-language media, it is not an influence when it comes to print consumption since 84 percent of those Hispanics that predominantly speak Spanish in the home indicated that they read English publications. For more information visit www.fhhispaniaplaza.com.

Online shopping by minorities up sharply

Online shopping by African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics and other minorities has increased dramatically during the past five years, according to a report from The Media Audit, which is produced by Houston research company International Demographics Inc.
Among African-Americans, 40.6 percent now shop online, compared to 27.1 percent five years ago. More than 20 percent now make five or more purchases in a year and 10.9 percent make more than 12 purchases. The total adult African-American population in the 88 markets surveyed is approximately 17.6 million.

Seventy percent of Asians now shop online, compared to 55.8 percent five years ago. More than 46 percent make five or more purchases in a year and 24.9 percent make 12 or more purchases. The total adult Asian population in the 88 markets surveyed is approximately 8.8 million.

According to the report, 41.8 percent of Hispanics now shop online, compared to 27.7 percent five years ago. In addition, 23.5 percent of Hispanics make five or more purchases in a year and 12.3 percent make 12 or more purchases. The total adult Hispanic population in the 88 markets surveyed is approximately 23.3 million.

All other minorities in the survey are grouped and total approximately 8.5 million. Slightly more than 52 percent shop online, 33.9 percent make five or more purchases in a year and 19.5 percent make 12 or more purchases.

Among all adults surveyed, 55.8 percent now shop online, compared to 44.1 percent in 2002. In addition, 35.7 percent made five or more purchases and 19.8 percent made 12 or more purchases. For more information visit www.themediaaudit.com.

Leftovers again? Consumers make in-home meal adjustments to manage expenses.

With food prices increasing at the fastest pace in 17 years and gas prices soaring, a study from Port Washington, N.Y., research company The NPD Group finds consumers looking for value, making trade-offs and counting on leftovers when planning their meals.

The NPD report, How Do Economically Challenging Times Affect In-Home Meal Strategies?, found one-third of adults feeling their financial situation is worse this year than last, and the most concerned are those with larger families. Among these financially-concerned adults, more than half said they are making a greater effort to prepare meals at home, to use up leftovers, to stock up when items are on sale and to choose private-label brands, compared to what they were doing a year ago.

“American consumers now spend about 10 percent of their disposable income on food and have not, historically, allowed food expenses to rise faster than their disposable income,” says Harry Balzer, vice president, The NPD Group. “Consumers will likely shift behaviors to find food solutions that meet a budget before spending more on the same foods.”

Another strategy consumers use to manage their spending on food is to change where they get meals and snacks. In past economic downturns, they have turned more to supermarkets and meals at home and pulled back on going to restaurants. Last year 80 percent of meals and snacks were consumed at home versus 20 percent at restaurants, and according to another NPD study on restaurants and the economy, the restaurant industry posted no organic growth in 2007.

“Despite rising grocery prices, in-home meals still provide a better value to consumers,” says Arnie Schwartz, who leads The NPD Group’s food and beverage unit. “One estimate shows that an in-home meal costs about a third of a meal purchased away from home.”
Price doesn’t appear to be the only motivation for consumers to eat more meals at home, according to the NPD study. Consumers still say that eating healthy is another reason to prepare their own meals. For more information visit www.npd.com.

The novel maintains its novelty as Americans continue reading

For years, people have been crying about the death of the book. While reading books may be declining, Americans are reading. Just one in 10 (9 percent) say they typically read no books in an average year. About one-quarter (23 percent) read between one and three books, while one in five (19 percent) read between four and six books and 13 percent typically read between seven and 10 books. And, over one-third (37 percent) of Americans say they read more than 10 books in an average year, according to results of a nationwide Harris Poll of 2,513 U.S. adults surveyed online between March 11 and 18, 2008, by Rochester, N.Y., research company Harris Interactive.

There are certain groups who are more likely to read more than 10 books in an average year. Looking at the generations, almost half (47 percent) of matures (those aged 63 and older) say they read more than 10 books compared to just one-third (33 percent) of Baby Boomers (those aged 44-62). Women are also more likely to read more than men - 44 percent of women read more than 10 books a year compared to three in 10 (29 percent) men.

Candidates may not want to try books to reach their partisans, but they may be a good way to reach out to Independents. Just one-third of Republicans (33 percent) and Democrats (35 percent) say they read more than 10 books in a year compared to 44 percent of Independents.

Booksellers may have something to worry about as one in five Americans (20 percent) say they have not purchased any books in the past year. About one-quarter (23 percent) purchased between one and three books, while just under one in five (18 percent) purchased between four and six books and 12 percent purchased between six and 10 books. Just over one-quarter (27 percent) of Americans say they purchased more than 10 books in the past year. Women are more likely than men to have purchased over 10 books (32 percent versus 22 percent). Also, while matures may be the most likely to read more among the generations, they are also the most likely to say they have not purchased any books (24 percent) so they may be going to the library or swapping books more than other generations.

One reason for lack of reading is lack of time. Just under half (45 percent)of those who read at least one book a year say they have less time for reading books today than they did five years ago while one-third (33 percent) say they have about the same amount of time and one in five (22 percent) have more time. Perhaps not surprisingly, almost two in five matures (38 percent) say they have more time for reading compared to over half (53 percent) of echo Boomers (those aged 18-31) who say they have less time. Here we most likely see the difference between leaving the working world and just starting into it.

In looking at the different types of books people read, non-fiction and fiction are almost even (82 percent and 80 percent respectively). The largest single genre is mystery, thriller and crime (48 percent read), followed by history (35 percent), biographies (31 percent), religious and spirituality (28 percent) and literature (27 percent). Men and women have different tastes in the type of books they read. Women are more likely to read mysteries (57 percent versus 38 percent), religious books (32 percent versus 24 percent), and, perhaps not a surprise, romance novels (38 percent versus 3 percent). Men, on the other hand, are more likely to read history (44 percent versus 27 percent), science fiction (34 percent versus 18 percent) and political (22 percent versus 9 percent). For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com.

More Americans plan to coupon-clip their way through recession

Tough times and technology advancements portend a coupon usage renaissance among U.S. shoppers, as 67 percent plan more coupon use, based on a survey conducted by Toronto research company ICOM Information & Communications. Of that 67 percent, 45 percent reported they were much more likely to use coupons and 22 percent reported they were somewhat more likely. Over the past 10 years, the average coupon redemption rate has declined to less than 1.0 percent from a level of 1.6 percent across all U.S. coupons distributed.

Broken down by age, 71 percent of consumers in the 18-34 bracket said they are much more likely or somewhat more likely to use coupons in a recession. That compares to 68 percent in the 35-54 bracket and 63 percent among those 55 years and above.

Geographically, 70 percent of Midwesterners said they are much more likely or somewhat more likely to use coupons in a recession, versus 69 percent of Westerners, 64 percent of Northeasterners and 62 percent of Southerners.

Income didn’t make a significant difference to respondents, with 68 percent of those earning less than $50,000 a year saying they are much more likely or somewhat more likely to use coupons in a recession, compared to 67 percent for those earning more than $50,000.
Historically, coupons represent a key area in which manufacturers operating in economic hard times have not cut back. In the weakened economy of 2001, ICOM tracking showed a significant increase in the number of coupons consumers redeemed each week.

“The consumer incentive certainly is there,” says Peter Meyers, ICOM marketing vice president. “Look at it this way: households of two adults and two children who use coupons wisely can save 25 percent on their grocery bill annually, without cutting purchases. That saves $2,400 a year based on a typical $800 a month grocery spend, which outstrips the $1,800 economic stimulus check this family has coming in May from Washington.”

In the area of coupon technology, 58 percent of consumers responding to the ICOM survey see their coupon use increasing if they could download a coupon from the Internet and have it automatically connected to an electronically-swiped frequent-shopper card. Of that 58 percent, 35 percent said they are much more likely to use such a card and 23 percent said are somewhat more likely. Consumers using these paperless coupons receive the discount at the register without having to clip and carry. AOL, Kroger, General Mills and Procter & Gamble are involved in programs testing these high-tech coupons.

No less than 77 percent of consumers in the 18-34 age group said they are much more likely or somewhat more likely to use coupons if given access to this paperless technology. In the 35-54 age group, 63 percent said they are much more likely or somewhat more likely. In the 55 and over bracket, 47 percent said they are much more likely or somewhat more likely. For more information visit www.i-com.com.

Steak, potatoes and apple pie: grocery ads focus on selling traditional American favorites

Based on a study conducted by Oakbrook Terrace, Ill., research company Promodata, major grocery retailers continued to emphasize key perishable categories in 2007 to entice consumers away from each other as well as alternative classes of stores (discounters). The dominant advertised categories in the three major perishable product groups (fresh meat, fresh vegetables and fresh fruit) continue strong advertising increases in number of printed ads versus 2006: beef increased 8 percent, potatoes 14 percent and apples 9 percent.

It appears that the “all-American meal” of steak, potatoes and apple pie is still something the consumer has an appetite for given the retailer ad emphasis noted above for those categories. Those three categories not only had the highest count of ads in 2007 for their respective product group but also solid increases versus the previous year.

In terms of ad impressions, beef (51 percent), potatoes (37 percent) and grapes (65 percent) enjoy the highest portion of their ads being significant ads. In fresh fruit, apples (46 percent) are third behind grapes (65 percent) and melons (53 percent). As a rule, it appears that both fresh meat and fresh fruit are more likely to be supported by a significant ad than fresh vegetables. For more information visit www.promodata.com.