Top 12 Drugs Most Searched on Internet

Pharmaceutical companies know how to market their products. One commercial on television can pique the interest of a viewer, but the description of the product is vague and the possible side effects are mentioned in a quick ramble at the end of the ad. The next logical step before going through the typically complicated process of contacting a doctor? Look up the drug on the internet to get more information.

The internet provides the convenience to inquire about a specific drug in an anonymous way and the opportunity to consider the pros and cons of the drug before taking the next step of speaking with a medical professional. And comScore, Inc. tracks the number of searches done on specific drugs, a research project that not only helps pharmaceutical companies but health care professionals who prescribe those drugs.

comScore is an online measurement services that analyzes digital data. The company's results from a February of 2008 survey of drug brand names most searched on the internet produced interesting results. While drugs that treat depression make up the majority of the list of fifteen drugs, it is Chantix that topped the list with 507,000 searches. Chantix is a medication that is used to help people stop smoking, and considering the great social and medical pressure on smokers to quit the habit, it is not particularly surprising to find the drug most advertised in various types of media as the most searched name brand in the survey.

However, it is depression medication that makes up the majority of the list. Cymbalta, Lexapro, Effexor, and Paxil are all drugs used to treat various forms of depression and appear in the top twelve. Prozac was also thirteenth in the survey, making that five of the top fifteen most-searched drugs related to depression. This seems to be a direct result of the fact that there are so many types and degrees of depression, so the natural tendency would be to inquire as to which drug might be most appropriate for the condition any one person is experiencing.

Adderall came in second in the most common searches with 469,000 queries, and considering its quick rise to becoming the most popular drug prescribed for ADHA, its popularity on the internet is not much of a surprise. Viagra taking third place in the survey is a widely prescribed and advertised drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction is also not a particularly shocking development.

Researchers noted that there was an interesting correlation between the number of searches for ADHD (573,000) and Adderall (469,000). They noted that the popularity of the condition nearly matches the marketing success of the drug often prescribed for its treatment, and this type of survey result confirms that the pharmaceutical company is branding and marketing its product effectively.

Also noted is that Lyrica, a drug prescribed for Fibromyalgia, made it into the eighth spot on the list, and the rise in its popularity only happened in the past few months. The health condition itself has not been surrounded by much awareness, that is until Lyrica began marketing its product through a campaign that has given the public more knowledge of symptoms and possible treatments for the disease.

The internet continues to grow as a tool for consumers to research products, whether it be on medical websites or blogs of those who use the drugs, to explore the benefits and side effects of solutions to medical problems. Those consumers are then able to approach their doctors with more knowledge, more educated questions, and a better idea of what their treatment may encompass.