Journal of Pharmacoeconomics and Pharmaceutical Management (Jul 2017)
A study on the compliance with patient expectation of selected drugs data in official websites of pharmaceutical companies: Opinions of medical and pharmacology students at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran
Abstract
Background: Information technology has been developed so rapidly and pharmaceutical companies design websites with the goal of providing better service to customers and sell more products. The evaluation of information contained on the selected pharmaceutical company’s web sites is adapted in the current study to understand the needs and expectations of consumers. Methods: According to the research plan, a questionnaire used in a similar study by Walter Wymer was applied in this study. The reliability of the survey was confirmed by examining 12 primary samples through Cronbach’s alpha. Based on the statistical community of medical and pharmacy students that reside in the Tehran Medical Sciences University, Iran , the samples randomly were chosen. A total of 5 branded prescription drugs were selected either because they were evaluated as being poor consumer choices for safety reasons or better alteration exists. The study participants visited each of five websites for the selected drugs, and then they answered a series of questions for each website, to evaluate each website’s information content. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The results showed that only 2 of 5 websites was fully presenting benefit and risk information, predominantly the later one, and the limitations to the uses of drug. Pricing information, alternative medicines, treatments, and behavioral approaches for dealing with an illness or health condition were not part of the information provided by drug companies. Conclusion: Only two of the five selected web sites had relatively good condition. Hence, Iranian consumers need to be aware and careful to use the pharmaceutical company websites as a source of information for finding prescription drugs information.
