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Malaysians Think Twice Before Treating Their Own Email this page
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Product Safety and Efficacy Rank As Top Concerns for Over-The-Counter Medicines
Nielsen
Michelle Liew
29 September 2008
+603 7626 3862
Kuala Lumpur

Malaysians w ould rather w ait to see if a minor ailment gets better on its ow n before self-
medicating, according to a global online survey conducted recently by The Nielsen Company in
collaboration w ith the Association of The European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP).

The 51-country survey interview ed 28,000 Internet users to decipher consumer attitudes and
consumption habits of non-prescription medicines as w ell as cultural factors that influence
consumers’ behaviour tow ards self-medication and treatment of minor ailments.

As the findings reveal, tw o third of Malaysians (65%) w ould rather w ait to see w hether the
symptoms persist before treating it themselves, w hile a third (30%) instantly self-medicate at
the first sign of sickness. A hardy minority of five percent w ill let their body fight the illness
and not take medicine at all. (Chart 1).

The Malaysian result is in line w ith international insights w hich saw a vast majority of global
consumers (65%) rather monitor their symptoms before taking medicines for minor ailments.
Among the top countries w here people share a similar attitude are Korea, and a number of
European countries like Germany, Austria and Denmark.

Conversely, three in 10 global consumers are content to take medication for minor ailments
such as headaches, colds and indigestion as soon as they start to feel under the w eather.
This practice w as most common in Central & Eastern European countries, and also above
average in Latin America & North America. It w as least common in Western Europe w here
only one in five consumers claimed that they treated their minor ailments in this w ay.

“There is so much localisation w ith self-medication products around the w orld, consumers w ill
respond to w hat they know and see in their ow n countries, and based on their ow n
experience,” said Paul Richmond, Managing Director for The Nielsen Company, Malaysia.

According to a 2007 Nielsen healthcare global survey, headache, cold, backache and
sleeping problem w ere the most common ailments among global consumers. Malaysians are
most susceptible to heartburn and flu, w ith about four in 10 having suffered from either one of
these ailments in the past month.

“Our latest consumer survey demonstrated a need and demand for more health education and
communication from all sectors of the healthcare industry - from doctors and pharmacists to
OTC manufacturers and health media - to help consumers understand treatment of minor
ailments and medicines better", said Mr Richmond.

Malaysians are not about to dice w ith danger w hen it comes to choosing a non-prescription
medicine to treat minor ailment, w ith 59 percent ranking “safety” as their top-most priority.
Another 47 percent relied on confidence in the product w hile 37 percent banked on the
effectiveness of the medicines. (Chart 2)

While consumers across the globe generally rank product safety, efficacy and trust as the
most important factors w hen buying non-prescription medicines, marked regional difference
also arose.

For one in tw o consumers in Asia and Middle East/Africa, “safety” of the product is the most
important factor, w hile know ing that “the product w orks” is the most important for one in tw o
North Americans and Europeans. 40 percent of Latin Americans rated “have confidence in the
product” the most important,

At a time w hen governments are increasingly looking for consumers to take responsibility for
their health and self-care, consumers still expect their doctor to play a key role in helping them
take better care of their health and minor ailments.

When asked w hat w ould help them in understanding treatment of minor ailments in the future,
one in tw o people said they w ould like more support from their doctor. Consumers in Asia
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one in tw o people said they w ould like more support from their doctor. Consumers in Asia
Pacific (57%) led by Hong Kong, Korea and Philippines topped global rankings in w anting more
advice/support from their doctor w hile 58 percent of Latin Americans said they w ould like
more health education. Emerging markets in Latin America and Central/Eastern Europe topped
global rankings for w anting clearer labeling and information on packaging.

In Malaysia, 52 percent choose to turn to their doctors for more advice and 51 percent hope
for more health education to be made available. In the increasingly multi-media society like
Malaysia, more than a third of locals believe that the information on the World Wide Web w ill
be able to improve their know ledge and ability in caring for their health. (Chart 3)

About The Nielsen Global Online Consum er Survey

The Nielsen Global Online Consumer Survey, conducted by Nielsen Customized Research,
w as conducted in April 2008 among 28,253 internet users in 51 markets from Europe, Asia
Pacific, North America and the Middle East. The largest half-yearly survey of its kind, the
Nielsen Global Online Consumer Confidence and Opinion Survey provides insight into current
confidence levels, spending habits/intentions and the major concerns of consumers across
the globe. The Nielsen Consumer Confidence Index is developed based on consumers’
confidence in the job market, status of their personal finances and readiness to spend.

About The Nielsen Com pany

The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company w ith leading market positions
in marketing and consumer information, television and other media measurement, online
intelligence, mobile measurement, trade show s and business publications (Billboard, The
Hollyw ood Reporter, Adw eek). The privately held company is active in more than 100
countries, w ith headquarters in New York, USA. For more information, please visit,
w w w .nielsen.com.

For m ore inform ation about the Association of the European Self-Medication
Industry (AESGP), please visit w w w .aesgp.be

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