Why should I take a RateADrug.com survey?
RateADrug.com surveys are designed to promote pro-active health analysis by providing
tools that helps evaluate medications, including the discovery of potential side
effects and benefits. Recent studies have shown that people who research their medical
therapies online are better prepared to discuss important health concerns with physicians
and to identify side effects or problems with their conditions early on.
RateADrug.com provides a place where people can discuss how their
medications make them feel, including any side effects, benefits, alternative options
or possible drug interactions. Our survey results and comments are unbiased and
anonymous. Participants can sign up for regularly updated survey results and news
about their chosen medications. We also make it easy to forward surveys to doctors,
caregivers or family members so they can stay informed about any changes in health.
How long does it take to complete a RateADrug.com survey? What questions will I be
asked?
RateADrug.com surveys are designed to be easy, fast and informative. You will be asked 10-20
questions about your experiences with your medications. Many of the questions are
optional. Most participants complete the survey in about five minutes. It is helpful
to have some basic facts about dosage and duration of use before starting your survey.
If I take more than one drug, can I still participate in the surveys?
You can take surveys (and receive survey results) for any or all of the medications
that you take - even if you take several medications and are unsure of which medications
are causing particular side effects or benefits. Our unique surveys are designed
to identify statistical correlations between the use of a drug and particular side
effects or benefits. You simply report changes in various areas of your health and
the effects will be aggregated with other users' experiences. The survey results
function as a group analysis of well-being corresponding to specific drugs.
How often are RateADrug.com survey results updated?
RateADrug.com surveys are continuously updated whenever participants rate their medications.
If you sign up for special reports, we will periodically notify you of updates
via your email address. Click
here to request regular survey results by email. You can easily add, remove
or change the frequency of your special reports at any time. In lieu of receiving
the updates by email, you can periodically visit RateADrug.com for the latest results.
Is RateADrug owned by or affiliated with any drug companies or governmental
agencies?
RateADrug.com is an independent company designed to help the public become more
proactive with health issues by providing self-evaluation tools and facilitating
public discourse on healthcare topics. We do not partner or share information with
any drug companies or manufacturers. We do not advocate any particular prescription
drugs or therapies, nor do we recommend or advise any treatments or actions based
on the information on this website.
Should I make medical decisions based upon RateADrug.com information?
The information on RateADrug.com should not be viewed as a substitute for medical instructions or advice from licensed physicians or healthcare providers.
We strongly recommend that you contact your health care provider immediately if you
notice any changes in your health or have questions about your experiences with
your medications.
Can RateADrug.com help me discover side effects from any of the drugs that I am taking?
Yes, our surveys are designed to help you evaluate your medications based on your
experiences. RateADrug.com surveys provide an opportunity for you to reflect on changes
in your health, including side effects and benefits. You can also participate within
a community who takes similar medications and learn about their experiences, as
well as alternative treatments, by viewing the survey results or comments. All RateADrug.com
study results are anonymous and unbiased.
Can I take a RateADrug.com survey more than once or on a regular basis?
RateaDrug.com helps you track your experiences with prescription drugs on an ongoing
basis. If you notice a change in your condition, including any side effects or benefits
from your medication, you can take the survey again. You can also share your experience
by adding comments or responding to others' comments at any time.
How do I forward RateADrug.com surveys to my doctor, caregiver or family members?
At the bottom of the survey you type in the email address of whomever you want to
forward your survey to. You might want to verify with your doctor or care provider
that it is okay to communicate by email. You can also type a note in addition to
the survey that will include private information that will be read only by the person
to whom it is addressed.
What happens to my information once I rate a drug?
RateADrug.com publishes aggregate survey results and anonymous user comments. Your
ratings will be combined with those of other participants and published as a consolidated
report for each particular drug. RateADrug.com reports do not contain names or any personal
information. All personal information, such as your email address, doctors name
or any other specific information that you choose to provide, is never published,
sold or shared with any third parties. See our
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Use
for further details.
Why am I asked to provide my email address?
We ask for an email address so we can validate that our survey participants
are real people. We keep our data clean by preventing unauthorized of disingenuous
use of our site, which could compromise the integrity of the survey results. Your
email address will only be used if you choose to sign up for special reports or
if you wish to forward your survey to your physician or family member. If you do
not have an email address, or prefer not to provide it, you can still participate
in a RateADrug.com surveys by
contacting us.
What if my medication is not currently listed in RAD?
If you search for a drug and find that it is not listed in our database, you will
be prompted to add the drug. Please make sure to check for the correct spelling.
All drugs are subject to administrative approval before they are listed in our
database. RateADrug.com currently offers surveys for over 4,000 prescription medications
and we welcome new listings for new or less frequently used drugs.
How is RAD information unique from other sources, such as the FDA or my doctor?
Unlike conventional health information sources like the FDA, medical groups or pharmaceutical
manufacturers, RateADrug.com survey results reflect broad and unbiased user experiences over
highly diverse conditions and time periods. To the fullest extent possible, RateADrug.com
survey results are free of conflicts of interest or industry bias because they come
directly from RateADrug user submissions.
RateADrug also seeks to discover and inform its visitors about subtle side effects
and benefits that might not be included in traditional drug research or pharmaceutical
disclosures, but which could have long term consequences on health and well-being. We believe that when properly used in conjunction with data from FDA, drug
warning labels and other sources of health information, RateADrug.com studies can be an important
component in your health care management.
How do RateADrug.com survey results compare to clinical trials?
RateADrug.com is open to the public, so that anyone can participate in our studies.
RateADrug.com neither directly assigns nor observes the participants of its studies.
Most importantly, RateADrug.com does not advocate any medications or medical procedures,
and we do not provide medications or treatments to participants. The purpose of
our survey results is simply to provide a tool that the public can use to evaluate
their experiences with their medications.
Can I link my website or blog to specific RateADrug.com surveys or study results?
Yes! It's simple - When you search for a drug, you will arrive at a "drug description"
page. On this page, you can read about the drug, take the full survey or view
the survey results. When you view the survey or the survey results, you will
see a link that says, "Add this to my webpage." You simply copy and paste the html
and you and your members will have immediate access to our surveys and results.
Whenever our results are updated, then they will automatically be updated
on your end as well. If you have any questions at all, please
Contact Us.