Post on 14-Dec-2015
Allergies in America: A Landmark Survey of Nasal Allergy Sufferers
Executive Summary
Conducted bySchulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas, Inc.
February 17, 2006
Supported by:
2
Study Design
Population Sampling Frame Interview Length
Completed Sample
Population Aged 18+ National RDD 34.8 minutes 2,500
Cross-section: 1/4/06-1/31/06
Health Professionals Doctors
-- Adult Primary Care
-- Allergy
-- Otolaryngology
Nurse practitioners
Physician assistants
AMA/AOA Master List:
Licensing Boards
American Academy of Physician Assistants
19.4 minutes
100
100
100
50
50
Physician Survey: 1/17/06-2/14/06
3
Adults Diagnosed with Nasal Allergies: Household Screening
QA. Including yourself, how many persons, aged 18 and older, live in this household (even if they are not there right now)? QB. Have any of these persons been diagnosed as having hay fever, rhinitis, or nasal
allergies? QC. How many persons, 18 or older, in this household have been diagnosed with hay fever, rhinitis or nasal allergies? N=61,655 adults in 31,470 households
Not diagnosed, 86%
Diagnosed, 14%
4
Seasonal or Persistent Allergies
Not sure1%
Seasonal43%
Throughout the year56%
Q12. Would you describe your nasal allergies as seasonal or do they occur throughout the year? N=2,500
5
Symptoms During Worst Month
29%
25%
40%
12%
23%
13%
6%
11%
28%
30%
17%
15%
20%
10%
12%
12%
6%
10%
17%
16%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Repeated Sneezing
Watering Eyes
Stuffed up nose
Awakened / Unable to Sleep
Itching
Headache
Ear Pain
Facial Pain
Runny Nose
Post-nasal drip
Every day
Most days
Q14. During the worst one month period in the past year, did you have (symptom) every day, most days a week, a few days a week, a few days a month, less than that, or never? Unweighted N=2,500
6
How Bothersome are Symptoms
11%
16%
28%
26%
19%
33%
20%
28%
26%
25%
18%
40%
23%
20%
38%
36%
27%
31%
30%
31%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Repeated Sneezing
Watering Eyes
Red, itching eyes
Stuffed up nose
Itching
Headache
Ear Pain
Facial Pain
Runny Nose
Post-nasal drip
Extremely
Moderately
Q15. When you have nasal allergy attacks, how bothersome are the following symptoms usually --- extremely bothersome, moderately bothersome, slightly bothersome, or not bothersome? N=2,500
7
Most Bothersome Symptom
22%
14%
14%
10%
10%
9%
7%
5%
4%
4%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%
Stuffed up nose
Headache
Post-nasal drip
Red, itching eyes
Runny Nose
Repeated Sneezing
Facial Pain
Watering Eyes
Ear Pain
Itching
Most bothersome
Q16. Which of these symptoms was the most bothersome to you? Base: Had bothersome symptoms N=2,362
8
Degree of Discomfort from Allergies
Not sure1%
Can't Tolerate38%
Can Ignore6%
Can Tolerate55%
Q17. In general, when you have a nasal allergy attack would you say that your discomfort is usually something you can ignore, you can’t ignore it, but you can tolerate it, or you can’t tolerate it without relief? N=2,500
9
Symptoms During Worst Month
13%
26%
44%
8%
29%
23%
38%
36%
15%
36%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Depressed orblue
Irritable Tired Embarrassed Miserable
Sometimes
Frequently
Q30. During allergy season, how often do you feel (ITEM) – frequently, sometimes, rarely or never? N=2,500
10
Impact of Allergies on Daily Life
Not sure1%
Didn't really impact14%
Little19%
Some26%
A lot15%
Moderate25%
Q31. During allergy season, would you say the condition impacted your daily life …..? N=2,500
11
Work Interference from Nasal Allergies
Neither48%
Both20%
Missed work only10%
Interfered only22%
Q22a. Have you missed work in the past 12 months due to your nasal allergies? Q23a. Aside from actually missing work, have your nasal allergy symptoms in the past 12 months interfered with your performance at work? Base: Employed full time N=1,315
12
Productivity and Allergies
95%
72%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
No Symptoms Symptoms at worst
Q24. Thinking about your productivity on a scale of 0 to 100, where 100 means 100% productivity, where would your rank your productivity on days when you don’t have nasal allergy symptoms? Q25. Where would you
rank your productivity on the same scale of 0 to 100 … when your nasal allergies are at their worst? Base: Employed full time N=1,315
Mean Productivity
13
Seen Doctor for Nasal Allergies in Past 12 Months by Symptom Severity
Q42a. Have you seen a health practitioner about your nasal allergies in the past 12 months? Q33. How would you describe your nasal allergy symptoms during the last week? Would you say that you had no symptoms, mild symptoms, moderate symptoms or severe symptoms? N =2,500
47%
32%
47%
55% 57%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All patients No symptoms Mild Symptoms Moderatesymptoms
Severesymptoms
14
Medicine for Allergies in Past 4 Weeks
Q63a. In the past 4 weeks, have you used any over-the-counter, non-prescription medicine to give you relief from nasal allergy symptoms? Q63b. When was the most recent time that you used an over the counter, non-prescription medicine for relief from nasal allergy symptoms? Q64a. In the past 4 weeks, have you used any prescription nasal spray for your nasal allergies? Q64b. When was the most recent time that you used a prescription nasal spray for your nasal allergies? Q72a. Have you taken any other prescription medications
for your nasal allergies in the past 4 weeks? N=2,500
53%
36%
22%
45%
69%
31%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
OTC Rx NasalSpray
Other Rx Any Rx AnyMedication
No Medication
15
Satisfaction with Recent Rx Nasal Spray for Nasal Allergies
Q63f. How satisfied are you with the over-the-counter medicine you used for your nasal allergies in the past 4 weeks? Q70a. How satisfied are you with the prescription nasal spray you used for your nasal allergies in the past 4 weeks? Q78. How satisfied are you with the other prescription medicine you used for your nasal allergies in the past 4 weeks?
48%39%
38%
52%49%41%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Recent OTC N=1,344 Recent Rx Spray N=919 Other Recent Rx N=576
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied
16
How Many Symptoms Relieved by Nasal Spray
Q65. Does your current prescription nasal spray give you relief from all of your symptoms, most symptoms, some symptoms, or no symptoms? Base: Use prescription nasal spray. N=919
Not sure, 1%
None, 3%
Some, 34%
Most, 46%
All, 16%
17
How Quickly Does it Relieve
Q68. How long does it take for your current prescription nasal spray to begin giving you symptom relief? Base: Use prescription nasal spray N=919
37%
21%
8%
2% 1% 1%2%
12%
4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Within 1hour
1 hour 2 hours 3-4hours
5-6hours
7-10hours
11-23hours
1-6 days Oneweek or
more
18
Does Effectiveness Wear Off
Q69a. Does your current prescription nasal spray lose effectiveness over the course of the day or night, or does it remain as effective as when you first took it? Base: Use prescription nasal spray N=919
Not sure, 7%
Does not, 45%
Loses effectiveness, 48%
19
When Begins Losing Effectiveness
Q69b. How long after taking your current nasal allergy medicine does it begin losing effectiveness? Base: Nasal spray loses effectiveness N=440
18%
32%
20%
17%
3%
5%
5%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Less than 4 hours
4-7 hours
8-11 hours
12-15 hours
16-23 hours
24 hours or longer
Not sure
20
Change Prescription Medicines for Nasal Allergies
Q81a. How often do you change nasal allergy medicines ---several times each year, once a year, every few years, only rarely or never? N=2,500
Several times a year, 10%
Not sure, 2%
Once a year, 8%
Every few years, 12%
Only rarely, 38%
Never, 29%
21
Why Changed Medicine for Nasal Allergies
Q81b. Why have you changed nasal allergy medicines? Anything else? Base: Have changed nasal allergy medicines N=1,723
37%
23%
11%
8%
5%
4%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
1%
3%
4%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Not effective enough
Doctor wanted to try other
Patient wanted to try other
Bothersome side effects
Cost/co-pay
Didn't treat symptoms
Not covered
Safety concerns
Developed an immunity
Availability/ Convenience/ Free samples
Not long lasting enough
Taken off market
Haven't changed allergy medicines
Not fast enough
Not sure
Other
22
Asked Doctor to Change Medication
Q82a. Have you ever asked your doctor to change your nasal allergy medication because you were dissatisfied with it? N=2,500
No, 66%
Yes, 34%
23
Why Dissatisfied with Nasal Allergy Medicine
Q82c. Why were you dissatisfied with that medicine? Base: Have asked doctor to change nasal allergy medicines N=860
66%
21%
12%
10%
1%
1%
1%
4%
2%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Wasn't effective
Bothersome side effects
Effectiveness wore off
Didn't provide 24 hour relief
Not covered
Cost/co-pay
Hard to administer
Other
Not sure
24
Effectiveness Ever Wore Off before 24 Hours
Q87a. Have you ever found that the effectiveness of a product that promised 24 hour relief began wearing off earlier? N=2,500
Not sure, 9%
No, 33%
Yes, 58%
25
When Does Effectiveness Wear Off
Q87c. About how long after you started taking it does a nasal allergy medicine’s effectiveness begin wearing off? Base: Found nasal allergy medicine offering 24 hour relief wearing off N=1,461
3%2%
3%
15% 15%
19% 19%
25%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Within 1hour
1 hour 2 hours 3-4 hours 5-6 hours 7-10hours
11 ormore
Not sure
26
Stopped Taking Because Effectiveness Wore Off
Q87d. Have you ever stopped taking a product for your nasal allergies because its effectiveness had worn off?
33%
57%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All Patients N=2,500 Experienced Wear-off N=1,461
27
Effectiveness Wears Off Over Time
Q88a. Have you ever found that a product’s effectiveness in treating your nasal allergy symptoms wears off over time even when you are taking the medicine as prescribed? Q88b. Has this happened to you with more
than one nasal allergy product? N=2,500
Not sure, 6%
No, 40%
Yes, not sure how many, 2%
Yes, one, 15%
Yes, more than one, 38%
28
When Does Effectiveness Wear Off
Q88c. About how long after you started taking it does a nasal allergy medicine’s effectiveness begin wearing off even when taken as prescribed? Base: Found nasal allergy medicine wearing off N=1,364
12%
7% 6%
13% 13%
10%12%
27%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Within 1month
1 month 2 months 3-4months
5-6months
7-10months
11 ormore
months
Not sure
29
Stopped Taking Because Effectiveness Wore Off
Q88d. Have you ever stopped taking a product for your nasal allergies because its effectiveness had worn off?
36%
66%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All Patients N=2,500 Experienced Wear-off N=1,364
30
Side Effects of Allergy Medicines
8%
3%
11% 10%
2% 4%
7%
3%
8%12%
7%
17%
11%
22%
25%
12%
26%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Bad taste Burning Drippingdown throat
Dryingfeeling
Headaches Drowsiness
Some
Most
All
Q90. How many of the medicines that you have taken for allergy had the following types of side effects --- all, most, some, few or none? N=2,500
31
How Bothersome are Side Effects
7% 7%
13% 12% 12% 12%
15%11%
20% 22%
13%
21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Bad taste Burning Drippingdown throat
Dryingfeeling
Headaches Drowsiness
Moderately
Extremely
Q91. How bothersome are the following side effects of nasal allergy medicines --- extremely, moderately, slightly or not bothersome? N=2,500
32
Reason Stopped Taking Nasal Allergy Prescription
Q94. Have you ever stopped taking a nasal allergy medicine prescribed by your doctor because…. N=2,500
37%
35%
32%
25%
14%
11%
4%
3%
39%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Didn't find it effective
Effectiveness began wearing off
Didn't provide 24 hour relief
Bothersome side effects
Not covered
Co-pay was too high
Dosing schedule was difficult
Hard to administer
None of these
33
How often Patients Follow Advice
Q19. Would you say that most of your patients with allergic rhinitis follow your advice on the management and treatment of nasal allergies…? N=400
PQ49. Would you say that you follow your health practitioner’s advice on the management and treatment of your nasal allergies – all of the time, most of the time, some of the time, rarely or never? N=2,500
41%
32%
1%
1%
1% 67%
70%
57%
39%
38%
45%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ENT
Allergist
Primary care
Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst.
Patients who have seendoctor
Patients who have notseen doctor
All of the time
Most of the time
34
Failed to Follow Physician Instructions
Q108. People with nasal allergies sometimes fail to follow their physician’s instructions about their medicines for allergies. Have you ever failed to take an allergy medicine as prescribed because of ……
N=2,500
41%
37%
35%
27%
22%
21%
19%
19%
3%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Lack of symptom relief
Loss of effectiveness over time
Lack of symptoms
Troublesome side effects
Worry about side effects
Cost of drugs
Concern about long term use
Poor toleration
Doctor's instructions hard to follow
35
Important for Nasal Allergy Medicine
Q98. In choosing a nasal allergy medicine, which would be the most important to you …? Q99. What would be the next most important to you? N=2,500
17%
32%
37%
6%
5%
22%
30%
15%
13%
13%
2%
1%
4%
1%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Fast symptom relief
Long lasting relief
Complete symptomrelief
Easy to take
Few side effects
Low cost
Not sureMost Next
36
Discomfort During Allergy Attack
Q8. In general, would you say that patients’ discomfort during a nasal allergy attack is usually something they can ignore, they can’t ignore it, but they can tolerate it, or they can’t tolerate it without relief? N=400
PQ17. In general, when you have a nasal allergy attack would you say that your discomfort is usually something you can ignore, you can’t ignore it, but you can tolerate it, or you can’t tolerate it without relief? N=2,500
45%
60%
44%
45%
44%
33%
51%
58%
55%
55%
38%
55%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ENT
Allergist
Primary care
Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst.
Patients who have seendoctor
Patients who have notseen doctor
Can't tolerate Can't ignore
37
Productivity when Nasal Allergies are at Their Worst
Q10. Thinking about productivity at work on a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 means 100% productivity, where would you rank the productivity of persons with allergic rhinitis, when their nasal allergies are at their worst? N=400
PQ25. Where would you rank your productivity on the same scale of 0 to 100 … when your nasal allergies are at their worst? Base: Employed full time N=1,315
Mean
69%
75%
62%
64%
60%
65%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ENT
Allergist
Primary Care
Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst
Patients who have seendoctor
Patients who have notseen doctor
38
Percent of Patients Very Satisfied With Disease Management
Q20. Approximately, what proportion of your patients with nasal allergies would you say are VERY satisfied with the management of their disease? Would you say… N=400
PQ51. Overall, how satisfied are you with your health practitioner’s management and treatment of your nasal allergies? N=2,500
78%
87%
62%
58%
56%
3%
4%
3%
72%
8%
31%
17%
28%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ENT
Allergist
Primary care
Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst.
Patients who have seendoctor
Patients who have notseen doctor
All (91% to 100%) Most (51% to 90%) Some (11% to 50%)
39
Satisfaction of Patients with Intra-nasal Corticosteroids
Q36. In general, how satisfied are your allergic rhinitis patients with their intra-nasal corticosteroids? Would you say that they are very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied? N=400
PQ70b. In general, how satisfied have you been with the prescription nasal spray you have used for your nasal allergies in the past? Base: Ever used Rx nasal spray for nasal allergies N=2,033
33%
54%
61%
55%
39%
37%34%
41%
41%
39%
42%
57%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ENT
Allergist
Primary care
Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst.
Patients who have seendoctor
Patients who have notseen doctor
Very satisfied Somewhat satisfied
40
Patients Get Monies Worth from Rx Medicines
Q30. Overall, do your patients feel they get their money’s worth out of prescription medicines for nasal allergies? N=400PQ97. Overall, do you feel that patients get their money’s worth out of prescription medicines for nasal allergies?
N=2,500
55%
87%91%
85%82%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
ENT Allergist Primary care NursePrac./Physician
Asst.
All Patients
41
Opinions About Nasal Allergies
Q44. Now I am going to read you a series of statements. As I read each statement, please tell me whether you agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat or disagree strongly with the statement. N=400
PQ110. Now I am going to read you a series of statements. As I read each statement , please tell me whether you agree strongly, agree somewhat, disagree somewhat or disagree strongly with the statement N=2,500
Agree Strongly
82%
71%
25%
49%
78%
77%
35%
30%
1%
38%
70%
55%
44%
24%
1%
45%
73%
58%
55%
28%
15%
22%
56%
64%
79%
58%
2%
40%
59%
3%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Nasal allergies are a serioushealth problem in the US
Even with proper treatmentnasal allergies usually cause
some lifestyle limitations
There are no truly effectivetreatments for nasal allergies
Frequent nasal allergysymptoms can be prevented
in most cases
Nasal allergies can makeasthma worse
Nasal allergies can causesinus infections
ENT Allergist Primary care Nurse Prac./Physician Asst. Patients
42
Need for Better Education of Patients
Q45. How much need do you think there is for better education of PEOPLE WITH NASAL ALLERGIES about their condition and its treatment? Do you think there is a… N=400
PQ113. How much need do you think there is for better education of people with nasal allergies about their condition and its treatment? N=2,500
57%
61%
57%
49%
38%
37%
43%
43%
40%
52%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
ENT
Allergist
Primary care
Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst.
All Patients
Strong need Moderate need
43
Aware of Professional Guidelines
Q46a. Are you aware of any professional guidelines for the diagnosis and management of allergic rhinitis? N=400
Yes
64%
46%
88%
62%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
ENT Allergist Primary care Nurse Prac./PhysicianAsst.
44
Publisher of Guidelines
Q46b. Who publishes those guidelines? Base: Aware of Guidelines N=260
15%
13%
3%
2%
57%
40%
2%
7%
11%
4%
28%
20%
9%
33%
13%
3%
3%
11%
13%
5%
22%
39%
3%
2%
56%
21%
16%
16%
22%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Other medical society
AAOA
Joint task force
AAAAI
ACAAI
Medical journal
Other
Don't know
Nurse Prac./Physician Asst.
Primary care
Allergist
ENT