Search for drug information: technology implications for rural consumers and pharmacies

As they age, baby boomers represent a larger proportion of the population experiencing health-related problems. As such, they are growing users of prescription medications. With pharmaceutical companies increasing their use of the Internet for direct-to-consumer advertising, and boomers leading in the routine use of technology, a shift in the sources used to obtain drug information may occur. Analyzing data from a panel of rural Illinois residents, this paper examines some aspects of the current dynamics of prescription drug information sources and their consequences for rural consumers and pharmacies.