Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6680

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: report

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription pharmaceuticals: a Merck Frosst position paper on how to use comprehensive patient information to deliver improved, cost-effective health outcomes
: Merck Frosst 1996 Jun 17
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/zfiles/english/consult/wkshd2ca.zip

Abstract:

There are a variety of compelling legal, ethical, and financial reasons to permit direct-to-consumer advertising in Canada. Legally, the industry has a right to commercial freedom of speech. It has also the legal and moral obligation to provide cautionary information to learned intermediaries and, according to its discretion, to patients. However, for patients to exercise their right to informed consent, they must understand their condition, its consequences, and the benefits and risks of treatment. Clearly, the current system of restricting the flow of information to patients has failed both payors and patients. Frequently, patients do not receive the information they need in order to exercise their right to informed consent. As a consequency, patients either remain ignorant, or turn to less reliable sources of medical information. This has resulted in a significant problem with patient compliance with treatment, which has in turn, reduced outcomes and created significant incremental, unnecessary costs to the health care system. DTCA can become an important tool with which to deliver improved, cost-effective health outcomes. An educational DTCA model is proposed herein that ensures that the right patient receives the right information at the right time in order to improve appropriate use, and, at the same time, reduces inappropriate use of prescription medications.

Keywords:
*policy statement & guideline/Canada/Merck/DTCA/direct-to-consumer advertising/value of promotion/health and healthcare/ commercial free speech/ consumer behaviour & knowledge/preclearance of advertisements/regulation of promotion/Pharmaceutical Advertising Advisory Board (Can)/industry perspective/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: INDUSTRY/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: CONSUMER DRUG COSTS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: CONSUMERS AND PATIENTS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: PRESCRIBING, DRUG USE