In spite of the enormous successes in the market for life-enhancing prescription medication, the industry is plagued by a wide variety of issues that prevent increased sales, ranging from mistrust of pharmaceutical companies, increasing reluctance on the part of physicians to meet with drug company representatives, lack of awareness regarding some illnesses, fear of side effects, concerns regarding effectiveness of products, lack of access to healthcare, as well as fears that pharmaceutical products may be addictive. This Mintel report focuses on methodologies for combating all of these issues via examination of consumer attitudes toward the use of pharmaceuticals in combating the following illnesses:

Depression

General anxiety

Social anxiety

ADHD

Sexual dysfunction

Insomnia

Allergies

Obesity

The report is divided in two sections, with the first dealing with market-wide issues relevant to the sales of pharmaceuticals, including distrust of pharmaceutical companies, access to medical insurance that covers pharmaceuticals, competition from OTC, generic, and alternative medication, attentiveness to D2C advertising, and the consumer’s research process. The second half of the report focuses on the prevalence, treatment, and potential sales growth for prescription medication by specific conditions.