This poll, the third in a series conducted jointly by USA Today and public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, by USA Today, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health finds Americans greatly value prescription drugs’ potential benefits for their families, but most believe they cost too much money and many struggle to pay for needed medicines.

The survey also provides a comprehensive look at Americans' views on, and experiences with, prescription drugs and the pharmaceutical industry, including drug costs, advertisements, safety issues, government regulation and medical research. 

The nationally representative telephone survey was conducted between January 3 and January 23 among 1,695 adults ages 18 and older, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. USA Today ran a series of news stories drawing on the poll's results. 

 Summary and Charts

 Toplines

  March 4, 2008, USA Today articles

 April 3, 2008, USA Today article