’08 Senior Health Digest finds less trust in Rx ads

Eisai unveiled its 2008 Senior Health Digest at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s 20th Annual Meeting & Showcase, in April. Data included in the digest ranges from satisfaction levels with Medicare and healthcare professionals, to computer usage among seniors (up 19% since 2005) and levels of trust regarding pharmaceutical drug information vehicles.

According to the data, US seniors 65 years and older reported a lesser degree of trust in pharmaceutical advertisements in 2008 than in 2006. Respondents younger than 65, or “non-seniors,” say they trust advertising to a greater degree in 2008. Responses to the survey question, “How much do you trust each source of information on medications?” were measured by Likert scale, with five being the “most trusted” and one being “least trusted.” Among seniors and non-seniors, the internet received a higher mean trust score than newspapers or television; seniors trust newspapers and television less than non-seniors.

The digest was created for Eisai by Pinnacle Health Communications, a marketing communications firm, and the project was overseen by Lisa Welford, RPh, CGP, VP, clinical product development. The digest seeks to promote senior healthcare initiatives for long-term care. It also provides research to be used in professional marketing materials, according to Jack Huber, sales director at Pinnacle.