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The Influence of Safety, Efficacy, and Medical Condition Severity on Natural versus Synthetic Drug Preference

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  • Brian P. Meier
  • Courtney M. Lappas

Abstract

Research indicates that there is a preference for natural v. synthetic products, but the influence of this preference on drug choice in the medical domain is largely unknown. We present 5 studies in which participants were asked to consider a hypothetical situation in which they had a medical issue requiring pharmacological therapy. Participants ( N = 1223) were asked to select a natural, plant-derived, or synthetic drug. In studies 1a and 1b, approximately 79% of participants selected the natural v. synthetic drug, even though the safety and efficacy of the drugs were identical. Furthermore, participants rated the natural drug as safer than the synthetic drug, and as that difference increased, the odds of choosing the natural over synthetic drug increased. In studies 2 and 3, approximately 20% of participants selected the natural drug even when they were informed that it was less safe (study 2) or less effective (study 3) than the synthetic drug. Finally, in study 4, approximately 65% of participants chose a natural over synthetic drug regardless of the severity of a specific medical condition (mild v. severe hypertension), and this choice was predicted by perceived safety and efficacy differences. Overall, these data indicate that there is a bias for natural over synthetic drugs. This bias could have implications for drug choice and usage.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian P. Meier & Courtney M. Lappas, 2016. "The Influence of Safety, Efficacy, and Medical Condition Severity on Natural versus Synthetic Drug Preference," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 36(8), pages 1011-1019, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:medema:v:36:y:2016:i:8:p:1011-1019
    DOI: 10.1177/0272989X15621877
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    Cited by:

    1. Cao, Yu & Li, Heng, 2023. "Everything has a limit: How intellectual humility lowers the preference for naturalness as reflected in drug choice," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 317(C).
    2. Li-Jun Ji & Courtney M. Lappas & Xin-qiang Wang & Brian P. Meier, 2023. "The Naturalness Bias Influences Drug and Vaccine Decisions across Cultures," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 43(2), pages 252-262, February.
    3. Shawna F. Bayerman & Meng Li & Adnan Syed & Laura D. Scherer, 2023. "Development of a Naturalness Preference Scale," Medical Decision Making, , vol. 43(7-8), pages 821-834, October.

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