Although the pharmaceutical industry is spending billions of dollars on direct-to-consumer TV and print advertising, the Internet is the top communications medium for health information seekers, according to recent Cyber Dialogue research.
Last year, pharmaceutical companies spent less than 1 percent of their marketing dollars on the Internet - missing out on a strong opportunity to reach potential customers.
For instance, of the 10 million Americans who search for pharmaceutical information online, 3.4 million have asked for a prescription from their physicians, according to the study. Of that number, 15% said they learned about a requested drug through the Internet. Only 9% said they learned about a drug through television ad and 5% were made aware of drugs through print ads.
With the number of e-health consumers increasing at twice the rate of Internet users, the potential for online DTC marketing is strong and largely untapped, says Liz Melcher, Cyber Dialogue's EVP.
The survey also found:
- 49% of those looking for online pharmaceutical information report being very satisfied with the information they gather.
- This compares with 25% who are very satisfied with health information in magazines and newspapers and 13% for television.
The Cybercitizen Health report is based on interviews with more than 2,700 adults nationwide.
(Cyber Dialogue, Joe Farris, 212/651-7043)