Do people care about branded drugs?
Younger men are more likely than any other group to want branded pharmaceuticals, rather than functionally identical and cheaper generic drugs
Some people swear by them, other people think they are waste of money – but which Brits prefer taking branded medication over generic drugs?
Overall, the majority of Brits disagree with the statement "I choose branded drugs because they are higher quality" to some extent (63%). However, 4% of Brits strongly agree, opting to take branded medication over cheaper, generic options due to better quality.
Who are the four percent? Using YouGov Profiles we can explore the demographics of this group. YouGov Profiles shows that men (55%) are more likely to opt for the expensive branded options than women (45%).
YouGov Profiles also shows that Brits preferring branded drugs are more likely to be younger, with 44% under the age of 40, compared to 36% of those who opt for generic drugs.
YouGov Profiles also allows us to compare how these Brits behave – and the data shows that Brits who opt for generic meds are actually much more likely to have repeating prescriptions (55%) compared to the Brits who prefer branded meds (40%).
YouGov Profiles also shows the predilection for branded drugs extends to other products. Among Brits who prefer branded drugs, 10% also definitely agree that they prefer anything branded even if it’s more expensive, compared to just 3% of Brits overall.