Germans rely on natural remedies

Study shows: Germans appreciate natural remedies

03/23/2015

According to a recent study by the University of Duisburg-Essen, the unabated high esteem in Germany of natural remedies is evident. In addition, according to the representative survey, the pharmacy is by far the most important source of natural remedies.

Acceptance could not be greater: every third over-the-counter medicine that is sold in Germany's pharmacies belongs to the group of natural remedies. In 2012, consumers spent around 1.7 billion euros out of their own pocket. Most of them think that this is also a good investment: they value their natural compatibility, especially their good tolerance and also report their own good experience with the effectiveness of these drugs.

For those under the leadership of Professor Jürgen Wasem, the market research institute TNS Infratest carried out a representative survey of the adult population. 1,006 people were interviewed in ten-minute computer-assisted telephone interviews. At the top of the natural remedies mentioned by respondents were with 87 percent herbal medicines. According to their own statement, 96 percent refer to them from the pharmacy.
86 percent of the respondents already look back on their own experiences with natural remedies. The interviewers addressed the question to this patient group (N = 863): „Why did you choose natural remedies??“ The answers confirm the results of previous surveys: The population in Germany values ​​natural remedies mainly because of their good tolerability (89 percent) and their effectiveness and usefulness (80 percent). Good experiences with natural remedies are reported by 84 out of 100 patients.

In the second part of the study, the researchers examined the economic value of natural remedies in Germany. One, as they tentatively estimated, came to over € 3.3 billion a year. Half of them (1.68 billion euros) are medicines that have been used in pharmacies. The number of jobs that are directly or indirectly dependent on the natural remedies market in Germany is also higher than generally assumed, according to the study. The study authors have determined that the total workforce of 103,064 people is in some way related to natural remedies. (Pm)

Picture: Mike Frajese