Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
Department 1
Psychology
Abstract
Research indicates that there is a preference for natural v. synthetic products, but the influence of this preference on drug choice in the medical domain is largely unknown. We present 5 studies in which participants were asked to consider a hypothetical situation in which they had a medical issue requiring pharmacological therapy. Participants ( N = 1223) were asked to select a natural, plant-derived, or synthetic drug. In studies 1a and 1b, approximately 79% of participants selected the natural v. synthetic drug, even though the safety and efficacy of the drugs were identical. Furthermore, participants rated the natural drug as safer than the synthetic drug, and as that difference increased, the odds of choosing the natural over synthetic drug increased. In studies 2 and 3, approximately 20% of participants selected the natural drug even when they were informed that it was less safe (study 2) or less effective (study 3) than the synthetic drug. Finally, in study 4, approximately 65% of participants chose a natural over synthetic drug regardless of the severity of a specific medical condition (mild v. severe hypertension), and this choice was predicted by perceived safety and efficacy differences. Overall, these data indicate that there is a bias for natural over synthetic drugs. This bias could have implications for drug choice and usage.
Copyright Note
This is the publisher's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
DOI
10.1177/0272989X15621877
Recommended Citation
Meier, Brian P., and Courtney M. Lappas. "The Influence of Safety, Efficacy, and Medical Condition Severity on Natural v. Synthetic Drug Preference." Medical Decision Making (2016), 1-9.
Required Publisher's Statement
Original version is available from the publisher at: http://mdm.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/12/18/0272989X15621877.abstract
Included in
Health Psychology Commons, Natural Products Chemistry and Pharmacognosy Commons, Other Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Commons, Pharmaceutical Preparations Commons