For today’s Chart of the Day, we explore GWI’s new research asking internet users which factors most influence their decisions over which everyday medicines or drugs to purchase.
Strikingly, while recommendations from a GP, doctor or pharmacist take precedence at a global level (62% say this is very important), when we focus in on North America it’s the cost of the medicine that is the most important factor. 57% of North American digital consumers cite this as a very important influence over their purchase decision, compared to 35% globally.
That 40% in North America cite brand familiarity as very important does show that a degree of brand loyalty exists too, but the fact remains that North America is the only world region where cost trumps medical recommendations.
Meanwhile, considering potential tech integrations with medical care have been a fairly hot topic recently, that more than 1 in 5 internet users refer to online sources when buying healthcare products shows a significant degree of consumer openness to incorporating technology into their healthcare considerations.
