Not just information about medicines. In the US, the demand for online services that pharmaceutical companies are expected to provide to help patients manage a chronic condition is growing on the internet. This is what emerges from the 'ePharma Consumer 2012' study by the consultancy firm Manhattan Research, conducted among 6,607 Americans aged 18 and over.
The 30% of online users with a chronic illness and the 38% of 'caregivers' would be interested in a patient support program with a range of services. These include financial assistance, support for food choices, tools to track and manage illness and a hotline to a nurse.
The offer of these programs currently varies from disease to disease, for example the 41% of people with multiple sclerosis used one made available by a pharmaceutical company. "Patients are interested in companies' patient advocacy programs, so industry marketers should also consider partnering with providers such as general health websites, pharmacies and hospitals to boost these services," said Monique Levy, vice president of research at Manhattan Research.
January 18, 2013 – PharmaKronos
