Healthy Skepticism Library item: 18041

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

Mintzes B, Bassett KL, Barer ML
Direct-to-consumer advertising (letter)
CMAJ 2004 Mar 2; 170:(5):770
http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/170/5/770-a

Abstract:

DTCA is illegal in Canada, which serves as a measure to protect those who are ill from undue marketing influences and from the harm that might result from medically unjustified use of medications. We trust that John Graham is not suggesting that the burden of proof be on health authorities to provide ironclad evidence of harm in order to maintain such safeguards.

Graham’s claim that DTCA has net benefits if it elicits no greater ambivalence than requests for nonadvertised drugs assumes that the latter are beneficial. Antibiotics, anxiolytics–hypnotics, stimulants and narcotic analgesics were among the nonadvertised drugs requested in our study.1 Advertising is not the only factor associated with pressure to prescribe, but if it adds to existing pressures, the net effect would be greater harm. …