Use of a commercial consumer panel to recruit a comparator cohort for a pharmacoepidemiologic study.

The Upjohn Consumer Health Survey (UCHS) was a prospective, observational study designed to comply with the US FDA's request that 10,000 users of ROGAINE® (REGAINE™ in international markets) Topical Solution 2% (2% minoxidil solution) be systematically studied in the first year following the product's approval. Members of the Drug cohort were recruited at the time they filled prescriptions for 2% minoxidil solution at cooperating retail pharmacies in the United States. To meet the need for rapid identification of a cooperative comparison group, the Comparator cohort was selected by stratified random sampling from members of a commercial consumer panel. Group matching of Comparators to the Drug cohort on four variables— age, sex, race, and geography of residence— was accomplished prior to recruitment on the basis of information available from the consumer panel records; education was obtained via consent procedures and was also used as a group matching variable. Data collection was accomplished by participant interviews and confirmation of participant-reported medical events. Interviewing costs averaged $ 18.88/completed interview. A commercial consumer panel offers a pool of rapidly identifiable subjects with known demographic characteristics and established willingness to participate in research for efficient cohort recruitment.