Medco Study Finds Most Consumers Prefer Older Prescription Drugs

Seven out of 10 adults would prefer to take a drug that has been on the market for a decade or more compared to a newer drug, according to a new survey by Medco Health Solutions that indicates recent safety issues are taking a toll on the public's perception of drugs.

While roughly one-third of consumers believe newer drugs are more effective than older drugs, another 31 percent believe newer drugs are less safe than their older counterparts, notes Medco's 2005 Drug Trend report, which surveyed 1,092 insured adults.

In another blow to the perception of drugs just hitting the market, only one in 10 adults over the age of 59 believes newer drugs are safer than older drugs, the survey found. Women were more likely than men to question the safety of newer drugs and were more likely than men to perceive that newer drugs were less effective than older drugs, the report noted.

Consumers are making a clear delineation between the safety of new drugs and their efficacy, said Hal Quinley, vice president of Yankelovich, which conducted the survey for Medco. "Consumers place safety first, even if it means foregoing incremental benefits that may be offered with newer medicines," he said. "The findings of the survey underscore that the safety concerns affecting specific drug classes cast a long and dark shadow, coloring the broader perception of all new drugs."

For more information on the drug trend survey, go to Medco Health Solutions online at http://www.medco.com (http://www.medco.com/medco/corporate/home.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1199523367.1116010130-mm382483477314@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfdaddejddhgegcfklcgffdghfdfgf.0&articleID=CorpAlertBackToFuture).