ArticleHealth services research2025
On the motivation for pharmaceutical manufacturer coupons: Brand loyalty or customer acquisition?
Article in Health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- On the motivation for pharmaceutical manufacturer coupons: Brand loyalty or customer acquisition?Health services research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo generate evidence regarding the offensive (customer acquisition) versus defensive (customer retention) motivation for pharmaceutical manufacturer coupons. DATA SOURCES AND STUDY
settingRetail prescriptions from IQVIA's Formulary Impact Analyzer data between 2017 and 2019. STUDY
designOrdinary least squares regression models with person, therapeutic class, drug, and time-fixed effects to measure the association between switching medications and coupon usage as well as the association between patient out-of-pocket spending and switching to a drug and using a coupon. To study switching type heterogeneity, reanalysis of associations for any type of switch, generic-brand switches, and brand-brand switches. Reestimation of baseline analyses for sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors, anticoagulants, and inhaled corticosteroids/long-acting beta2-agonists to assess heterogeneity by drug class and market maturity. DATA COLLECTION: 1,167,132 privately insured patients that utilized at least one coupon between 2017 and 2019 for one or more prescriptions. PRINCIPAL
findingsCoupon usage was associated with a 1.0 percentage point reduction in any kind of drug switch in the full sample and by 0.65-2.9 percentage points for the drug class subgroups. However, these estimates are governed by market dynamics; the probability of switching increased by 40% on the first coupon usage before declining by more than 50% on subsequent coupons. Switching after the first coupon use may be explained by systematic savings implied by coupon use; we find coupons reduced patient out-of-pocket spending by $45.00 (i.e., the majority of patient out-of-pocket costs). In subgroup analyses, coupon savings were $6.43 larger than average for anticoagulants, characterized by the highest levels of brand and generic competition among the considered therapeutic classes.
conclusionsPharmaceutical manufacturers may be using coupons to acquire customers and then build brand loyalty, especially in markets with more generic competition. Antitrust authorities and other regulators should scrutinize the impact of coupons on market competitiveness and drug spending.
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