Healthy Skepticism Library item: 8373

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

Griffith WA, Cangemi RR.
Direct-to-consumer Rx ads? Drug firms see pluses, minuses
Drug Topics 1995? May 20; 129:60-61

Abstract:

To determine how pharmaceutical manufacturers feel about advertising prescriptions directly to consumers, a questionnaire was mailed to 88 senior marketing executives at drug companies all over the country. Responses were received from 55 companies representing 40% of the prescription sales. It was shown that about 24% of the respondents indicated that their firms are planning to advertise, while 33% were uncommitted. Some 43% stated that their firms are not planning to advertise to consumers. A majority of respondents (79%) believed that not all prescription drugs should be promoted to the public. About 80% of all respondents said that direct-to-consumer ads of prescription drugs would increase sales. On the debit side, a majority of respondents (50%) indicated that consumer advertising could result in increased exposure to product liability lawsuits. Most respondents favored the monitoring of prescription drugs. Finally, the majority of respondents did not believe that consumer advertising of Rx products would lead to higher health costs.