Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6807

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

Hunt M
Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs
Washington, D.C.: National Health Policy Forum, George Washington University 1998 Apr
www.nhpf.org/ibonline.cfm#8-719

Abstract:

Since 1985, direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs has become a critical part of pharmaceutical marketing strategy. While the object of such advertising is to stimulate consumer demand, it may also provide information that promotes public health, for example, by increasing diagnosis of disease and improving compliance with prescribed drug regimes. However, the regulatory requirements that DTCA must satisfy were originally developed for professional audiences. In light of the increased prevalence of DTCA, policymakers may want to reconsider these requirements to ensure that consumers can understand the benefit and risk information such ads contain. DTCA has proved highly successful in stimulating consumer demand for prescription drugs. Today, patients often initiate conversations with their doctors about the advertised medications and even ask for them. It is unclear how well-equipped physicians are to respond to such requests, especially as the universe of approved drugs continues to expand. Most medical school curricula place little emphasis on therapeutics. Once doctors have received their training, they often depend heavily on commercial sources of information about drugs. Improving medical school training in therapeutics and ensuring a flow of unbiased, high-caliber research on drugs would give physicians information critical to providing good care. A demonstration program that would establish one or more centres for education on research and therapeuticis addresses the clinical community’s need for such research and may also satisfy consumers’ desire for reliable and objective information. In addition, the potential contribution of pharmacists to improved practices deserves attention. Finally, DTCA is likely to contribute to the already high inflation in prescription drug spending. While its impact on total health system costs is unknown, some are concerned that it may stimulate demand for products whose benefits are not commensurate with their costs. this is particularly true for new products addressing diseases or conditions that are primarily cosmetic or that may affect quality of life but do not lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

Keywords:
*analysis/United States/DTCA/direct-to-consumer advertising/ healthcare costs/ prescribing costs/ doctors/ source of information/ medical education/ analysis of prescribing pattern/ consumer behaviour & knowledge/ quality of information/ print advertisements/ pharmacies and pharmacists/ regulation of promotion/ FDA/ Food and Drug Administration/ managed care/ pharmacy benefit management/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: CONSUMERS/PATIENTS/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS/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/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: CONSUMERS AND PATIENTS/PROMOTION AS A SOURCE OF INFORMATION: PHARMACISTS/REGULATION, CODES, GUIDELINES: DIRECT GOVERNMENT REGULATION