Healthy Skepticism Library item: 9299

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

Duttagupta S, Aparasu RR, Desselle S, Das S.
Pharmacists' attitude toward direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs
APhA Annual Meeting 1994; 141:90

Abstract:

A previously untapped market of consumers is being thoroughly explored by the pharmaceutical industry through Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs (DTCA). The objective of this study was to assess pharmacists’ attitudes toward DTCA on a statewide basis. The survey instrument consisted of twenty-four Likert scale items with relevant respondent demographics. The questionnaires were mailed to randomly sampled Louisiana pharmacists representing ten percent of all the state licensed pharmacists. Results indicated that 59 percent of the pharmacists did not support DTCA. However, 60 percent of the pharmacists were requested by consumers about drugs advertised through DTCA. The respondents felt that increase in advertising costs due to DTCA would be passed on to consumers through higher drug prices. Consequently, they opined that increased competition through DTCA will not result in lowering of drug prices. Chi-square analysis was used to analyze the relationship of pharm cists’ responses to support DTCA and respondent demographics. Interestingly, responses were independent of respondent demographics. Factor analysis was used to analyze the underlying dimensions of DTCA. Five underlying factors explaining 52 percent of the total variation were obtained. Further, discriminant analysis correctly classified 76% of the pharmacists as supporters and non supporters of DTCA using only three of the five factors. The study concluded that although pharmacists may have indicated some reservation in supporting DTCA they recognized its usefulness. Further, the majority of pharmacists still may not favor DTCA as a means of informing consumers about prescription drugs even though its use has increased in the last few years.