Almost half of consumers around the world say that the recession is changing how they buy non-prescription medications. Some (12%) say that they will use less of them, while others are switching to natural and traditional remedies.  According to a major new study from Nielsen, how consumers self-medicate and choose non-prescription medications varies widely by region.  For example, more than half of Europeans tend to look to their pharmacist for advice on which products to use, while only 13 percent of Americans do the same.
Most consumers said that they would …

On Wednesday, Wolters Kluwer Health and Nielsen announced the creation of the Healthcare Consumer Informatics Alliance, which will provide data on consumers’ healthcare purchases, attitudes, and behaviors to healthcare marketers.
The Healthcare Consumer Informatics Alliance combines Nielsen’s knowledge of the consumer health and media space with Wolters Kluwer Health’s expertise in prescribed pharmaceuticals. 
Nielsen’s data assets include television and online ratings, consumer packaged goods marketing information, and others, while Wolters Kluwer Health brings de-identified longitudinal patient and dispensed pharmacy data. 
A joint consulting team, with members from both companies, has also been created.
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