Americans Attitudes About Pharmaceuticals

Americans Attitudes About Pharmaceuticals

Who should do drug research?

 

Updated 3/4/2008 12:00 PM 

 

Americans are most likely to think universities and the drug companies play the biggest role in developing new drugs, but they have widely differing views on who should be in charge. The ? Some combination ? and ? Combination/other ? responses were volunteered responses.

 

Percent who say each of the following plays a major role in researching and developing new prescription drugs:

For-profit drug companies

75%

Universities

60%

Federal government

49%

Non-profit or charity organizations

24%

 

Percent who say each of the following should be primarily responsible for developing new drugs:

For-profit drug companies

28%

Universities

27%

Federal government

16%

Non-profit or charity organizations

11%

Some combination

13%

 

There are some serious medical conditions for which new prescription drugs could make a big difference and save lives, but these conditions affect a relatively small number of people. Who should be responsible for making sure research is conducted on drugs for these conditions?

Federal government

48%

Drug companies

27%

Non-profit or charity organizations

17%

Combination/other

6%

 

There are some serious medical conditions for which new prescription drugs could make a big difference and save lives, but these conditions mainly affect people in poorer countries who cannot afford to pay a lot for drugs. Who should be responsible for making sure research is conducted on drugs for these conditions?

International non-profit or charity organizations

42%

Government agencies

25%

Drug companies

19%

Combination/other

10%

Source: USA TODAY/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health poll of 1,695 adults nationwide, conducted by ICR, Jan. 3-23. Margin of sampling error, +/3 percentage points.