1. US Consumer Perceptions of Pharmaceutical Companies
Prepared for

2. Notes on Methodology Representative Sample Data Analysis & Cleaning
In consultation with Innoplexus AG, Haven Insights launched this survey via Fulcrum Exchange to a sample of 1,018 (953 after data-cleaning) consumers.
This study’s sample is a United States national representation template. By design, it approximates the United States population on age, gender, education and region, in order to gain a holistic perspective on the survey’s topic—one that affects all Americans to a more or less equal degree.
Haven Insights analyzed this survey in order to clearly display respondents’ answers to each survey question, along with how demographic variables correlate with answers to topical questions about respondents’ perceptions. Haven Insights cleaned this data post-fielding by flagging responses that exhibited speeding, flatlining, or blatant contradictions across questions. The result is a cleaned dataset of 953, after discarding 65 responses for quality concerns

3. Demographics
Age, gender, race/ethnicity, and other demographic descriptors of the sample.

4. General Demographics Gender Race/Ethnicity Age Education 51% Female
<1% “Other”
49% Male
69% Caucasian/White
6% Asian/Pacific Islander
12% African American
2% Native American
9% Hispanic
2% Other
Age
Education
25% years
17% years
20% years
26% 60+ years
13% years
4% Less than high school
23% 4-year College degree
24% High school/GED
9% Master’s Degree
39% Some college
2% Doctoral degree

5. Behavioral Questions
Topline findings regarding consumers’ experience purchasing medications over the past 12 months.

6. Money Spent on Medication
40% of respondents spent $200 dollars or more on prescription medication for themselves and members of their immediate family in the past 12 months.
N=953; To the best of your knowledge, how much money have you spent on prescription medication in the past 12 months? This includes prescriptions for yourself and members of your immediate family (e.g., spouse, children).

7. Equal, Less, or Relatively Equal
81% of respondents spent more or a relatively equal amount of money on prescription medication in the past 12 months than they have in the past.
N=953; Would you say this amount of money is more, less, or relatively equal to what you have spent on prescription medication in the past?

8. Why Money Spent Increased
Of the respondents who said they have spent more money on prescription medication in the past 12 months, 23% said they believe the increase is because pharmaceutical or drug companies have unjustifiably increased the price of drugs.
N=272; Why do you believe the money you have spent on prescription medication in the past 12 months is more than what you have spent in the past?

9. Perception Deep-dives
Topline findings regarding consumers’ perceptions of pharmaceutical companies in the US.

10. View of Pharmaceutical or Drug Companies
Almost half of those surveyed (47%) have a negative or very negative view of pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States. In fact, just 5% of respondents said they have a very positive view.
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being very negative and 5 being very positive, how would you describe your view of pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States?

11. Perceptions: Pricing, Money & Costs
Overall, respondents indicated the strongest level of agreement with issues involving pricing, money, and costs. In fact, the vast majority of those surveyed said they strongly agree or somewhat agree that pharmaceutical or drug companies:
charge unreasonably high prices for medication
care more about making money than they do about helping patients with their health problems
increase the cost of medication without warning
do not work with the government or health insurers to set reasonable prices for medications
N=953; On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, what is the extent to which you agree with the following statements about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States.

12. Perceptions: Transparency
Most respondents said they strongly agree or somewhat agree that pharmaceutical or drug companies:
lack transparency about payments to healthcare professionals that might create a conflict of interest
lack transparency about what goes into the cost of medications
are slow to report results from negative clinical trials
lack transparency about data that is collected from clinical trials
N=953; On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, what is the extent to which you agree with the following statements about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States.

13. Perceptions: Miscellaneous
More than 40% of respondents said they strongly agree or somewhat agree that pharmaceutical or drug companies:
do not give back to local communities
are preoccupied with medications that only offer short-term health benefits
improperly manage adverse events and public relations
N=953; On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, what is the extent to which you agree with the following statements about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States.

14. Perceptions: Pricing, Money & Costs
Overall, respondents indicated the highest levels of importance for issues involving pricing, money, and costs. In fact, the vast majority of those surveyed said it is extremely important or very important that pharmaceutical or drug companies:
charge reasonable prices for medication
focus on helping patients, not making money off their health problems
work with the government and health insurers to set reasonable prices for medications
warn patients about potential increases in the price of medications
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being extremely important, how important do you believe it is for pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States to do the following:

15. Perceptions: Transparency
Most respondents said it is extremely important or very important that pharmaceutical or drug companies practice transparency with regards to:
results from negative clinical trials
what goes into the cost of medications
scientific and medical breakthroughs
payments to healthcare professionals
data transparency and probing of data
their on goings by holding periodic forums or meetings that are open to the public
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being extremely important, how important do you believe it is for pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States to do the following:

16. Perceptions: Miscellaneous
More than 40% of respondents said it is extremely important or very important that pharmaceutical or drug companies:
focus on developing medications that offer long-term health benefits
give back to local communities
do a better job managing adverse events and public relations
stop advertising about medications on television and/or social media
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being extremely important, how important do you believe it is for pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States to do the following:

17. Perceptions: Pricing, Money & Costs
More than 60% of respondents said it is very likely or somewhat likely that their beliefs would improve if pharmaceutical or drug companies:
focused on helping patients, not making money off their health problems
charged reasonable prices for medication
warned patients about potential increases in the price of medications
worked with the government and health insurers to set reasonable prices for medications
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely unlikely and 5 being extremely likely, what is the likelihood that your beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States would improve if they did the following:

18. Perceptions: Transparency
Most respondents said it is very likely or somewhat likely that their beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies would improve if they were transparent about:
what goes into the cost of medications
scientific and medical breakthroughs
results from negative clinical trials
payments to healthcare professionals
data transparency and probing of data
their going ons by sponsoring periodic forums or meetings that were open to the public
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely unlikely and 5 being extremely likely, what is the likelihood that your beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States would improve if they did the following:

19. Perceptions: Miscellaneous
Approximately 40% of respondents said it is very likely or somewhat likely that their beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies would improve if they:
focused on developing medications that offer long-term health benefits
gave back to local communities
did a better job managing adverse events and public relations
stopped advertising about medications on television and/or social media
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely unlikely and 5 being extremely likely, what is the likelihood that your beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States would improve if they did the following:

20. Segmentations
Cutting the data by age reveals significant differences on key perception metrics.

21. View of Pharmaceutical Companies (by age)
Negative views of pharmaceutical or drug companies increase with age, with respondents who are 60+ years old having the most negative views of all age groups.
Pharmaceutical or drug companies have the opportunity to continue fostering a favorable view of themselves in the minds of younger generations by proactively addressing concerns over pricing, money, and costs and issues of transparency.
N=953; On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely unlikely and 5 being extremely likely, what is the likelihood that your beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States would improve if they did the following:

22. Pricing for Medication (by age)
*All percentages in this table are based on the percentage of respondents who gave a score of 5.
Negative views of pricing for medication increase with age, with respondents who are 60+ years old being the most likely to state they believe pharmaceutical or drug companies charge unreasonably high prices for medication and that they should charge less money for medication.
N=953 (1) On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being extremely unlikely and 5 being extremely likely, what is the likelihood that your beliefs about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States would improve if they did the following. (2) On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all important and 5 being extremely important, how important do you believe it is for pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States to do the following (3) On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree, what is the extent to which you agree with the following statements about pharmaceutical or drug companies in the United States

23. End
For questions about this report, contact Nick Freiling at