U.S. residents use Internet for drug data

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 (UPI) -- A survey has found 25 percent of U.S. residents have used the Internet to find prescription drug information.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project poll, based on a May-June 2004 telephone survey of 2,200 people, found 64 percent of U.S. households contain a regular user of prescription drugs, the organization said Monday.

One in four U.S. residents has used the internet to look for information about prescription drugs.

The prescription drug market is enormous and now includes millions of Americans who go online to get information about the medicines they consume, Pew said.

The survey found, however, only 4 percent of U.S. residents have ever purchased prescription drugs on the internet;

Three-quarters of online prescription drug purchasers said the last time they bought prescription drugs online, they purchased a drug for a chronic medical condition, such as high blood pressure or arthritis;

The survey also found:

-- One quarter of online prescription drug purchasers say their last purchase at an online pharmacy was for some other purpose, such as weight loss or sexual performance.

-- Nine in 10 online prescription drug purchasers plan to go online again to fill a prescription in the future.