Product Category Effects on External Search for Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs

This mail survey compares the information search process for prescription and nonprescription drugs. Data were collected from 205 adults age 45 and older who used both prescription and nonprescription drugs. Results indicate that physicians and pharmacists are the most important information sources for both prescription and nonprescription drugs. However, a comparison between consumers' information search behaviors for the two drug types shows that consumers consider interpersonal sources and mass media sources more important sources for nonprescription drugs than for prescription drugs. Internet sources are considered more important for prescription drug information than for nonprescription drug information.