Americans count on drugs but question manufacturers’ motives
Although many Americans count on prescription drugs to improve their health and quality of life, many say drug makers place financial gain ahead of consumers’ well-being, a recent poll says.
The survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation and published in the Washington Post found that 78% of adults say prescription drugs make a "big difference" in people’s lives, and 91% believe drug companies contribute significantly to society by researching and developing new drugs.
Seventy percent, however, feel the pharmaceutical companies that produce them are more concerned "about making profits" than developing new drugs, according to the survey. The Kaiser poll was taken in early February and surveyed 1,201 people older than 18 years old. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
The poll also found that a large majority of Americans want the government to do more to reduce drug costs — with 65% saying they wanted more government regulation of prices and 73% favoring changes that would allow Americans to buy cheaper drugs from Canada.
Drug companies say they need high profits to put money back into expensive research and development, but the poll found that about 80% of respondents did not believe that argument. The survey, however, did show high public confidence in the FDA. The survey found that 80% of Americans remained confident in the safety of the drug supply, and 77% thought the FDA was doing a good job of ensuring that safety.
Although many Americans count on prescription drugs to improve their health and quality of life, many say drug makers place financial gain ahead of consumers well-being, a recent poll says.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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