Blog: Canadians are open to a digital pharmacy

What happens after you submit your survey responses? Where do your answers go? How is your opinion used? We want to answer these questions by sharing past examples of how your responses and opinions have made an impact.

A recent Maru poll found that half of Canadians (49%) are open to filling their prescriptions online through a digital pharmacy, while 25% said they would be extremely unlikely to consider it. Of the people surveyed, only 45% find filling a prescription in-store at a pharmacy reliable and 45% of respondents find this convenient. The problem may lie with the relationship that Canadians have with their pharmacist. Only 18% feel that their pharmacist is aware of their medical history and 45% said they have no relationship with their pharmacist. This sentiment was highest among people in the 35-49 age group (51%) and geographically, it was highest in people living in B.C. (59%). It’s no wonder; when asked about other forms of contact respondents had with their pharmacists besides visiting in person, 63% said they telephoned about their prescriptions and 24% said they had no other contact. Of those who had no contact with pharmacists beside in-person visits, 32% live in B.C., while 17% live in Quebec.

Only 55% of respondents are aware that pharmacists may prescribe refills for certain medications, while 45% are not. Regarding where they have prescriptions filled, 77% prefer to go to the same pharmacy for all their prescriptions, 10% prefer to go to the same pharmacy chain, 2% prefer to go to the pharmacy closest to their doctor’s office, and 11% have no preference for where they fill their prescriptions. Regarding the top five factors that impacted their decision in choosing a pharmacy, the following were the top answers:

• Location (convenient to work or home) 40%
• Affordable prices 28%
• Insurance plan accepted 25%
• Insurance claim is automatically processed by the pharmacist 23%
• Knowledgeable staff/pharmacist 20%

It looks like pharmacists need to create stronger bonds with patients to prevent losing them to online pharmaceutical services.

Are you open to using an online pharmacy?

You can see the full poll results here.

Pas encore membre? Inscrivez-vous maintenant!

La Voix Maru est l’une des principales communautés d’études de marché en ligne au Canada, offrant aux Canadiens et Canadiennes l’occasion de participer à des sondages et à des discussions qui influeront sur les marques, les produits et les services que nous utilisons tous chaque jour. Nous collaborons avec diverses organisations, allant d’entreprises de marques réputées et d’organismes gouvernementaux à des organismes sans but lucratif et à des médias, qui veulent mieux comprendre l’opinion publique pour éclairer leurs décisions. Pour vous remercier de chaque sondage auquel vous répondez, vous recevrez des points ou des bulletins de participation pour gagner des chèques-cadeaux, des produits ou de l'argent comptant. Inscrivez-vous maintenant!

Vous n’êtes pas encore membre? Visitez www.lavoixmaru.ca pour vous joindre à notre communauté et partager vos points de vue sur une multitude de sujets comme ceux-ci. L’inscription est simple et rapide. Nous voulons connaître vos opinions!