Consumer preference for personal drug information source: relationship to perceived importance of drug class

The purposes of this study were to: (1) determine consumer preferences for personal drug information sources, and (2) determine if preference for information source is affected by perceived drug importance. A telephone survey of 204 metropolitan subjects was conducted using a systematic sampling design. Pharmacists and physicians were preferred over lay sources for all drug categories. Pharmacists and physicians were preferred equally for drugs perceived of low to moderate importance, but not for drugs perceived of highest importance. Perceived drug importance, which has not been examined previously, appears to be an important factor in consumers' preference for personal drug information sources.