Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4350

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

Gurnee MC, Hansen JM, Sylvestri MF.
Portrayal of the elderly in drug product advertisements: Relationship to dosing recommendations and pharmacokinetic data in the geriatric population
Journal of Pharmaceutical Marketing & Management 1992; 72:17-31

Abstract:

Drug product advertisements that appeared in 5 health care journals during 1980-1985 were analyzed for targeted patient population and dosing adjustment recommendations. Advertisements were classsified as “elderly” when a pictured model appeared > 60 years old and/or a descriptive word in bold print referred to the population over the age of 60. Of the 3,773 advertisements analyzed, 16% were classified as portraying the elderly. Further analysis was performed on the 39 drug advertisements with elderly portrayal appearing in 1985. Eight (12%) of these advertisements included specific dosing recommendations for elderly patients, and 15 (38%) presented pharmacokinetic data applicable to a geriatric population. The implications of these results are discussed.

Keywords:
*content analysis/United States/drug advertisments/elderly/dosing/pharmacokinetic/IMAGES IN PROMOTION: ELDERLY/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: JOURNAL ADVERTISEMENTS