Use of smartphones and tablets to search for prescription drug information rising rapidly

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Reviewed

Jan 28 2014Decision Resources Group

Decision Resources Group finds the number of US consumers that are using their smartphones and tablets to search for prescription drug information is rising rapidly, according to data from ePharma Consumer^® 2013, while searches through desktops and laptops is beginning to wane, reinforcing the need for prescription drug marketers to prioritize mobile investments. ePharma Consumer^® helps marketers refine DTC multichannel planning based on patient behavioral insights.

Key Facts:

Among US consumers who own a smartphone and access prescription drug information online, 35 percent used their smartphone to research a prescription drug in 2013. That's up 52 percent over the 23 percent that did so in 2011.
More than a fifth of tablet-owning U.S. adults who look up prescription drug information online did so using their tablets in 2013 – almost triple the 8 percent that did so in 2011.
Prescription drug research through desktops and/or laptops dipped among owners of those devices that access prescription drug information online – 84 percent did so in 2013, down from 91 percent in 2011.
The use of mobile devices for research on prescription drugs varies by condition group. For example, more than half of smartphone-owning ADHD patients use these devices to search for prescription drug information online while 41 percent of smartphone-owners with multiple sclerosis did the same.

Quotes:

Rory Stanton, Consumer Insights Analyst, said: "Many brands have to act a lot faster when it comes to mobile optimization in 2014. Up to now, we mostly thought that poor mobile experiences were lost messaging opportunities, but new findings show that they could in fact hurt brand perception."
Monique Levy, Vice President, Research, said: "Our recent ePharma Competitive Analysis series of reports found that fewer than a third of product sites were mobile-optimized. It's not that marketers don't know that mobile optimization is important, but many challenges are getting in the way – such as deploying simultaneous website redesigns and establishing internal mobile guidelines and templates."

Additional Resources:

Decision Resources Group is offering a closed webinar on the new ePharma Consumer^® study, which will present the latest research findings and takeaways. This webinar will take place February 14, 2014 at 2 pm Eastern and is open to clients of ePharma Consumer^® 2013. Please contact us to learn how you can purchase this study and attend the webinar.

About ePharma Consumer^® 2013
ePharma Consumer^® is Manhattan Research's study and strategic advisory service focused on helping healthcare marketers understand how consumers are using digital channels for prescription drug information and services and how they are using pharma websites and online resources. The study was fielded online in Q4 2013 among 6,605 U.S. adults, Segmented data is available for more than 50 patient audiences, including diagnosed patients, patients on therapy, caregivers and information seekers. Learn more here.

Key topics covered in the research include: