Citizens' preferences for brand name drugs for treating acute and chronic conditions: a pilot study.

Background: Generic drugs have been advocated to decrease the proportion of healthcare costs devoted to drugs, but are still underused. Objective: To assess citizens' preferences for brand name drugs (BNDs) compared with generic drugs for treating acute and chronic conditions. Methods: A questionnaire with eight hypothetical scenarios describing four acute and four chronic conditions was developed, with willingness to pay (WTP) determined using a payment card system randomized to ascending (AO) or descending order (DO) of prices. The questionnaire was distributed with an explanation sheet, an informed consent form and a pre-stamped envelope over a period of 3 weeks in 19 community pharmacies in Lausanne, Switzerland. The questionnaire was distributed to every third customer who also had health insurance, understood French and was aged =16 years (up to a maximum of ten customers per day and 100 per pharmacy). The main outcome measure was preferences assessed by WTP for BNDs as compared with generics, and impact of participants' characteristics on WTP. Results: Of the 1800 questionnaires, 991 were distributed and 393 returned (pharmacy participation rate?=?55%, subject participation rate?=?40%, overall response rate?=?22%); 51.7% were AO and 48.3% DO. Participants were predominantly women (62.6%) and of median age 62 years (range 16-90). The majority (70%) declared no WTP for BNDs as compared with generics. WTP was higher in people with an acute disease than in those with a chronic disease, did not depend on the type of chronic disease, and was higher in people from countries other than Switzerland. Conclusions: Most citizens visiting pharmacies attribute no added value to BNDs as compared with generics, although some citizen characteristics affected WTP. These results could be of interest to several categories of decision makers within the healthcare system.

Friday Facts, January 18, 2013, Vol. 165

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, January 25, 2013, Vol. 167

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, February 1, 2013, Vol. 167

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, February 22, 2013, Vol. 169

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, March 1, 2013, Vol. 170

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, March 15, 2013, Vol. 171

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

The Poor Representation of the Poor in a Comparative Perspective

Due to diverging levels of political influence of various income groups, political institutions likely reflect¦the policy preferences of certain groups of citizens better than others, independently of their numerical¦weight. This runs counter the egalitarian principle of 'one citizen, one vote'. The present article documents¦a general trend of underrepresentation of the preferences of relatively poor citizens both by¦parties and by governments across Western democracies, although important cross-national differences¦exist.

Friday Facts, March 29, 2013, Vol. 172

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, April 19, 2013, Vol. 173

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, April 26, 2013, Vol. 174

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

A LIBRARY IN THE MAKING: Pioneer History of the Territorial and State Library of Iowa,October 1912

The discovery of early manuscript reports of Territorial and State Librarians, buried in the mass of old official papers transferred from the several departments of State to the new Department of Archives in the Historical Building, has suggested the propriety of completing as far as possible, the historical record of Iowa's State Library, "from the earliest period to the present time." After a thorough research through the papers on file in the Archives Department, the published Journals and departmental reports in the State Library and documents and private papers loaned me by Mr. Newton R. Parvin, librarian of the Iowa Masonic Library, Cedar Rapids. I am now able to present the following historical sketch, Supplemented by the hitherto unpublished papers referred to this filling a gap in the history of a State institution which from very small beginnings has grown to large proportions and has made for itself a firm place in the respect and esteem of every citizen of Iowa.

Friday Facts, May 24, 2013, Vol. 175

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, May 31, 2013, Vol. 176

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.

Friday Facts, August 9, 2013, Vol. 181

Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion part of the Iowa Department of Public Health produces of weekly newsletter about the Iowa WIC Program for the State of Iowa citizen.