Study:Patients prefer to get meds from doctor

A new study has concluded that 75 percent of Americans would like to fill their prescriptions at their doctors' office instead of a pharmacy. The study was conducted by Opinion Research Corp. on behalf of healthcare technology and services firm Purkinje. The study, which examined attitudes toward physician dispensing of medications at the point of care, found that 84 percent considered such a service more convenient, and 62 percent said it would help them better manage their health. Households with children were the biggest fan of the practice, with households earning less than $25,000 coming in a close second.

The study should be taken with a grain of salt, given its vendor origins. Still, it's worth bearing in mind that this practice isn't without precedent. After all, many patients fill their scripts at hospital pharmacies, for example, or on-site when visiting multi-specialty groups. The question, critics say, is whether dispensing medications (or selling anything else, for that matter) within the intimate environment of a small medical practice pressures the patient to buy from the doctor.

To learn more about this trend:
- read this Purkinje press release

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