Large-Scale Study Shows Sharp Increase in Patient Desire for Natural Medicines

As the world leader in homeopathic medicines, Boiron commissioned the Hartman Group to perform a comprehensive study on the insights into the health and wellness OTC category to identify opportunities for homeopathic medicines. More than 2000 US women aged 25 through 70 who are the primary shoppers for their households participated in the online study administered in January 2011. This was a benchmark study following up on results for a 2010 study of 1400 women. Results show society shifts in the way that we take medicine. Key findings include:

• Health and wellness is no longer a niche market dominated by a small group. It’s a long-term change and driving economic force that reflects how patients view their lives and the products that they purchase. While nearly half (46%) of women have successfully used a natural/alternative OTC medicine in the past, another 37% have not but are interested in trying.

• Seventy-nine percent of women are attempting to limit their overall usage of traditional OTC products. They believe in the efficacy of OTC products but believe that these products aren’t “good” for them, especially when used frequently. A sizable number of women (64% of respondents) consider purity and lack of chemicals/irritants to be important factors in choosing OTC products.

• Fifteen percent of women said they have used homeopathic medicine for themselves, and 14% said they have used homeopathic medicine for their children in the past 12 months.

• This year’s study showed increased familiarity with homeopathic medicines. Six out of 10 women (59%) are familiar with these natural OTCs – a jump of 9% over the previous year! Personal networks, such as family, friends, or colleagues, are the most common triggers for starting to use homeopathic medicines, with health-care practitioners’ recommendations coming in second.

• The demographics of homeopathic medicines users align with many magazine audiences. Homeopathic users have higher household income levels ($70k–$100k+). They are families with children younger than 6 years old, start-up families, young transitionals, and empty-nest couples. They are college-educated and hold professional/managerial occupations. They live comfortably in the country, affluent suburbia, or cosmopolitan centers. Hispanic and Asian shoppers also indexed high as users.

• Most women prefer to find homeopathic medicines in the OTC section of the store “mixed in with the traditional/conventional OTC products” or “within their own section within the traditional/conventional OTC products.”

• Ready for “alternatives” to jump into mainstream retail shops, women were asked what the most important purchasing factor is beside price/value. “Easily being able to find the product where I shop” ranked second only to effectiveness. Currently, slightly over half (51%) of women who purchase natural OTC products do so most often in nontraditional stores.