Which HCPs Doubled Script Writing?

While total prescriptions in 2015 only rose by 1%, the number of scripts written by NPs and PAs more than doubled over the past five years and this is likely a very conservative estimate. A new study by IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics released this year estimates that retail prescriptions written by NPs and PAs topped 676 million in 2015, but the real number is likely over. billion according to AANP and AAPA stats.

Top Prescribers

Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants are among the top prescribers for some drugs. For example, for Olysio (a hepatitis treatment), three of the top twelve prescribers on Medicare claims are Nurse Practitioners according to propublica.org.

Pill Color Matters

Patients are up to 50% more likely to stop taking a medication if its color changes, which often happens when a script is refilled with a generic. Pharma brand managers and market researchers need to pay careful attention to color of product and marketing materials. Why? Color can create emotional associations, maintain brand consistency, differentiate from competitors and reduce medical errors.