Healthy Skepticism Library item: 19868

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Petroshius SM, Titus PA, Hatch KJ
Physician attitudes toward pharmaceutical drug advertising
Journal of Advertising Research 1995; 35:(6):41

Abstract:

The results of a survey examining physician attitudes toward the advertising of pharmaceutical drugs, including cosmetic pharmaceuticals, and the impact of these attitudes on physician prescription-writing habits, responsiveness to patient requests, and attention to pharmaceutical advertisements are presented. In general, the findings suggest that physicians are favorably disposed to the advertising of pharmaceutical products both to consumers and other physicians, with differences emerging among physicians based on age, experience, practice setting, type, and specialty. The results also suggest the physicians’ attitudes toward pharmaceutical advertising are good predictors of which physicians are attentive to such ads, are likely to write prescriptions for advertised products, and are responsive to patient’s requests for advertised pharmaceuticals. Finally, implications for advertisers are discussed.