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AstraZeneca Study Shows Value of Personal Interaction in Discount Program

An AstraZeneca company survey has found that 1/3 of its patients who utilize their AZ&Me prescription drug savings program are driven by doctors and pharmacists. Based on a year-long survey of 12,000 patients who contacted AstraZeneca about the assistance program, 35% were referred by healthcare professionals, while another 14% learned of the program from brochures in doctors' offices, hospitals, clinics or pharmacies.

DTC advertising drove only 9% of patients to the program, just a bit more than the AstraZeneca websites, accounted for another 7%. The DTC advertising, the first of its kind to promote prescription savings programs, began in Nexium TV spots in 2005 before it was added to all AstraZeneca product spots, including newspaper, radio and TV ads.

The company said its program saved more than $500 million for the nearly 500,000 patients who used it to fill 2.8 million prescriptions last year.