IRI discusses health care during recession in new report

CHICAGO Information Resources Inc. on Thursday released a report, “The Changing Landscape of Healthcare and the American Consumer,” outlining the forward impact the current recession will have on how Americans research, purchase and use health care.

“Health care is costly, and people are rethinking how they take care of themselves in order to conserve funds,” Thom Blischok, president, consulting and innovation, IRI, wrote in the opening of the report. “Instead of sticking with their tried-and-true healthcare options, consumers are aggressively seeking affordable solutions for health and wellness, both in terms of how they obtain care and in the healthcare products they choose.”

And while Americans are changing how they choose health care, the Food and Drug Administration is “flexing its regulatory muscles again.” And while the new FDA activism is expected to make medicines and supplements safer, it also has the potential to add significant costs overall — including added costs in drug development as well as added costs to keep those medicines already approved on store or pharmacy shelves.

The study is available as a free PDF download at http://us.infores.com/Insights/Publications/IRIPointofView/tabid/197/ctl/Details/mid/923/ItemID/900/Default.aspx.