Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6623

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

Basara LR.
The impact of a direct-to-consumer prescription medication advertising campaign on new prescription volume
Drug Information Journal 1996; 30:715-729
http://www.diahome.org/abstract/dj303634.pdf

Abstract:

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription medications is one manifestation of the growing significance that pharmaceutical companies attribute to patients. Because most studies of DTCA impact have used hypothetical products and predictions of behaviour, however, the value of this marketing strategy is not well understood. Thus, this study’s purpose was to assess the relationship between existence of an informational DTCA campaign for a newly-marketed prescription medication and new prescription volume. Prescriber-specific new prescription data and time-series analysis were used to construct a time-series regression model. A model with lagged sales and a first-order moving-average noise process was deemed most appropriate, suggesting that DTCA was effective in generating new prescriptions while the campaign was in effect, with residual but declining effects after discontinuation. Cost-effectiveness calculations indicated that the DTCA campaign generated approximately $22 million in new and refill prescriptions.

Keywords:
*mathematical modeling/United States/direct-to-consumer advertising/market share/new drugs/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: MARKET SHARE/PROMOTIONAL TECHNIQUES: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISIN