AARP Hearing Center
Difficulty in paying for prescription drugs prompts some to seek out online sources.
Nearly a third (30 percent) of U.S. adults ages 50 and older report difficulty in paying for their prescription drugs, with those ages 50–64 expressing more difficulty than their older counterparts (38 percent vs. 23 percent who say it is very or somewhat difficult).
Other research has suggested that individuals seek online sources for their prescription medications as a way of cutting costs. In our study, we found that roughly four in ten (45 percent) adults 50 and older say they have looked online for their health care needs, including one-quarter (25 percent) who have met with a health care provider using telehealth.
Convenience and recommendations from a health care provider move many to look for online options.
Like other studies on the topic, we found that midlife and older adults generally use online pharmacies because they are convenient, with six in ten (61 percent) citing that as a reason for use. Nearly half (47 percent) of those who have used an online pharmacy say they did so at the recommendation of their health care provider, with fewer than one-fifth (17 percent) saying a friend or family member recommended an online pharmacy.
Prescription drug costs and a lack of insurance coverage for a particular medication are noted most frequently as reasons for using online drug discount programs, cited by roughly three in ten adults 50 and older (38 percent and 31 percent, respectively). About one-quarter (27 percent) said they used an online drug discount program because it was convenient. Most of those who have used these discount programs say that they had been recommended to them by their pharmacist (30 percent).
Satisfaction with online sources is high, although future use remains uncertain.
Satisfaction is similarly high among users of online pharmacies and users of online drug discount programs, with roughly seven in ten users of each saying they are extremely or very satisfied (71 percent of online pharmacy users and 69 percent of online drug discount programs).
Although future use of online pharmacies or online drug discount programs remains uncertain among those 50 and older, for those who have used the programs, future likelihood of use is high. Roughly eight in ten (79 percent) online pharmacy users and seven in ten (73 percent) online drug discount program users say they are extremely or very likely to use these offerings in the future.
Methodology
These findings are based on a survey conducted in October 2024 to look at the use of online drug discount programs and online pharmacies among U.S. adults ages 50 and older. The sample of 1,549 Americans 50 and older was based on data weighted to the latest Current Population Survey (CPS) benchmarks developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and is balanced by gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, and region. AARP membership by age group was also included in the weighting, with AARP providing the benchmarks. The final weighted data reflect the U.S. population of adults ages 50 and over.
The Use of Online Pharmacies and Drug Discount Programs Among U.S. Adults Ages 50 and Older study was conducted using the NORC Foresight 50+ Panel among a sample of U.S. adults 50 and older using a combination of phone and online sampling. The survey interviews averaged 6 minutes in length. The interviews were conducted in English October 17–22, 2024.
For more information, please contact Teresa A. Keenan at tkeenan@aarp.org. For media inquiries, please contact External Relations at media@aarp.org.
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