What do Poles know about medicines and dietary supplements?
2017-05-07
1800 pln
How to identify customer needs and preferences?
The pharmaceutical market is marked by intense competition that continues to grow with each passing year. Companies selling medications and supplements must convince consumers that their products are the best. To achieve this, they face the challenge of building a strong brand that inspires trust and establishes a perception of high quality. However, to accomplish this goal, they must first understand the needs and preferences of their target customers. In our survey, we examined what Poles know about the medications and supplements currently available on the market.
Magical abbreviations – what do they mean?
Over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) medications are distinguished by the use of abbreviations OTC and Rx. According to preliminary survey responses, more than a quarter of Polish consumers claimed to be familiar with these terms. However, we included an additional verification question, revealing that some respondents were unable to correctly identify their meaning (7.8% for OTC and 13.8% for Rx).
Awareness of medications
Information about Rx products and their usage guidelines is usually obtained directly from a physician. Quite often, we also rely on information found online. When it comes to over-the-counter medications, the trend is reversed: we primarily seek information on the Internet and only turn to a pharmacist or doctor afterward. In the case of dietary supplements, we almost equally rely on online advice and consultations with a pharmacist.
Fewer than 40% of respondents agreed that it is necessary to consult a pharmacist or doctor before using an over-the-counter medication. This suggests that the obligation to include this message in advertisements does not significantly influence public awareness. Moreover, a relatively high number of respondents (30%) tend to confuse OTC drugs with supplements, and one in four Poles believes that dietary supplements have medicinal properties.
Most survey participants were unable to name even one correct Rx product, often providing a vague answer that the abbreviation Rx applies to antibiotics. The situation is different for OTC medications, where Poles are well acquainted with two popular brands of painkillers and fever medications. However, there is a significant lack of knowledge regarding dietary supplements available on the market. Typically, awareness is limited to the notion that these products are enriched with minerals and vitamins.
1 Methodological note. 3
2 Characteristics of the research sample. 3
3 Results of the study. 7
3.1 Distinction between Rx/OTC medicines and dietary supplements. 7
3.2 Familiarity with brands of RX/OTC medicines and dietary supplements. 10
3.3 Knowledge of RX/OTC medicines and dietary supplements and its sources. 12
3.4 Use of dietary supplements. 15
4 Conclusions 19
5 Table of figures and tables. 21
INDEX OF FIGURES AND TABLES
Figure 1 Characteristics of respondents by gender (N=804) 3
Figure 2: Characteristics of respondents by age (N=804) 4
Figure 3. Characteristics of respondents by education (N=804) 4
Figure 4: Characteristics of respondents by income per person in the household (N=804) 5
Figure 5: Characteristics of respondents by occupation (N=804) 6
Figure 6. Characteristics of respondents in terms of factors they pay attention to when buying medicines in a pharmacy (N=804) 6
Figure 7. Knowledge of Rx/OTC abbreviations (N=804) 7
Figure 8 Degree to which respondents agree with basic statements about Rx/OTC medicines and dietary supplements (N=804) 13
Figure 9. Use of dietary supplements by respondents (N=804) 16
Figure 10. Resources used by respondents (N=804) 18
Table 1. Characteristics of respondents by income received per person in the
household - basic income parameters (N=750) 5
Table 2. Familiarity of respondents with Rx/OTC abbreviations - summary by gender and age (N=804) 7
Table 3. meaning of Rx abbreviation according to respondents (N=217) 8
Table 4. meaning of the abbreviation OTC in the opinion of respondents (N=217) 8
Table 5. main distinguishing features of Rx drugs in respondents' opinion (N=804) 8
Main distinguishing features of OTC products according to respondents (N=804) 9
Main distinguishing features of dietary supplements as perceived by respondents (N=804) 9
Table 8. Examples of Rx drugs known by respondents (N=804) 10
Table 9 Examples of OTC medicines known by respondents (N=804) 11
Table 10 Examples of dietary supplements known to respondents (N=804) 12
Table 11: Extent to which respondents agree with basic statements about Rx/OTC drugs and dietary supplements - breakdown by gender and age (N=804) 13
Table 12. Sources of information on Rx drugs used by respondents (N=804) 14
Table 13 Sources of information on OTC medicines used by respondents (N=804) 14
Table 14. Sources of information on dietary supplements used by respondents (N=804) 15
Table 15. Use of dietary supplements by respondents - summary by gender and age (N=804) 16
Table 16. Dietary supplement brands known to respondents (N=804) 17
Table 17. Measures used by respondents - summary by gender and age (N=804) 18
