May 14, 2024, New York, NY—DOAR, the nation’s leading trial consulting company, today released important findings from a new national study that examines several issues suspected of influencing jurors’ baseline attitudes toward pharmaceutical companies. The findings indicate that opinions of the pharmaceutical industry are generally favorable despite a prevailing view of it as profit-centric. The study also concludes that recent trends in certain types of drugs and vaccines have a meaningful impact on views of the industry.
The study, conducted by the DOAR Research Center, sought to reflect a broad spectrum of community attitudes across the United States. It was designed to be representative and evenly drawn from demographic groups by gender, race, age, education, income, and political affiliation.
“In the wake of several key factors polarizing our national discourse, we wanted to provide insights into how people today view the pharmaceutical industry,” said DOAR jury consultant Dr. Ellen Brickman, a co-author of the study. “Opinions of the pharmaceutical industry are more favorable than attorneys might expect due in part to personal experiences with COVID-19. However, positive attitudes are waning, with concerns over high drug prices becoming more prevalent. This study is a timely and relevant exploration of these issues.”
The study measures the following:
- Attitudes toward domestic and foreign pharmaceutical companies
- Key issues driving opinions of the pharmaceutical industry
- Experiences with and concerns about prescription drug prices
- The roles COVID-19 vaccines and the recent surge of weight loss drugs play in shaping attitudes toward pharmaceutical companies
- Demographic effects on community attitudes (e.g., race, political affiliation, education)
DOAR jury consultants Dr. Chad Lackey and Dr. Natalie Gordon also co-authored the study.
“Nearly two-thirds of respondents believe that the pharmaceutical industry is more concerned with maximizing profits than saving lives or improving health,” said Dr. Lackey. “Furthermore, more respondents felt that pharmaceutical companies were more responsible for the lack of access to prescription drug treatments. Somewhat surprisingly, opinions of the industry were still more favorable than not.”
Dr. Gordon added, “As a proof point, we surveyed respondents on their opinions of popular weight-loss drugs and found that most attributed the high costs and barrier to access to the medications more to pharmaceutical companies than to insurers.”
Drs. Brickman, Lackey, and Gordon are experienced DOAR jury consultants who work with prominent lawyers on complex, high-stakes matters, including those involving pharmaceutical companies.
“The insights we gather from conducting jury research, such as online surveys, focus groups, and mock trials, enable us to understand how potential jurors with specific characteristics and personal experiences respond to certain facts in a case,” said Dr. Brickman. “Using that information to develop more effective trial strategies drives better outcomes for our clients.”
About DOAR
DOAR is the nation’s leading trial consulting company, advising lawyers at top-tier law firms and major corporations. We leverage our more than 30 years of experience to provide the insight, expertise, and support required to handle the most complex, high-stakes legal disputes. We stay at the forefront of the most impactful trends and technologies affecting the legal community and deliver valuable insight that informs and advances our clients’ litigation strategies.
For more information about DOAR, visit DOAR.com and follow us at @DOARlitigation.
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