Dr. Mom and Other Influences on Younger and Older Adults’ OTC Medication Purchases

Abstract

The present study examined age differences in the sources of information that older and younger adults use when making decisions about purchasing over-the-counter (OTC) cold/allergy medications. Participants completed a questionnaire addressing information sources that influence OTC purchases and advertising awareness. The questionnaire was given either before or after completing a decision task in which they searched a computerized display of label information and chose one of seven brand name medications to purchase. Analyses revealed age-related differences in sources of information considered and label information used when purchasing OTC medications. Priming participants to recall specific advertising claims using the questionnaire had little effect on the information used by younger or older adults. Younger adults relied on price and product use information, whereas older adults relied on side effect and drug interaction information. This finding has implications for OTC label design and health care professionals who counsel patients about OTC medication usage. When consumers decide to purchase over-the-counter medications (OTCs), they often are perplexed because there are hundreds of products from which to choose. For example, more than 10 years ago there were over 800 OTCs available to treat symptoms of the common cold (Lowenstein & Parrino, 1987), and undoubtedly today there are more. Little is known about what factors are important to consumers as they make a decision about purchasing OTCs. Identifying these factors may be particularly important to

Adult Age Differences in Dual Information Processes: Implications for the Role of Affective and Deliberative Processes in Older Adults' Decision Making

“…Johnson and Drungle (2000) found that older adults were more likely to focus on active ingredients than were younger adults and were also more systematic in their information searches, presumably reflecting their greater experience with using these drugs. Stephens and Johnson (2000) also found that older adults were more likely to focus on side effects and drug interactions than were young adults. Such information is of obvious relevance to older adults, who are more likely than the young to be taking multiple prescription drugs at any one time.…”

Age differences in dual information-processing modes

“…For example, in examining decisions about over-the-counter drugs, Johnson and Drungle68 found that older adults were more likely to focus on active ingredients than were younger adults and were also more systematic in their information searches, presumably reflecting their greater experience with using these drugs. Stephens and Johnson106 also found that older adults were more likely to focus on side effects and drug interactions than were young adults. Such issues are most likely based on experiences and obviously relevant to older adults, who are more likely than the young to be taking multiple prescription drugs at any one time.…”

Product Category Effects on External Search for Prescription and Nonprescription Drugs

“…Hence, although there have been a few descriptive studies on consumers' information search behaviors regarding nonprescription drugs (Hughes, Whittlesea, and Luscombe 2002;Stephens and Johnson 2000), research comparing consumers' information search behaviors for prescription and nonprescription drugs has received little or no attention in the nonproprietary research literature, leaving a gap in the pharmaceutical advertising literature.…”