Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20149

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: Magazine

Cole L
US pharma ads increase risk awareness
Medical Observer 2005 Apr 813

Full text:

US consumers, used to being bombarded by prescription medicine advertising, are becoming savvier about potential risks linked to medicine use.

A new US survey of direct-to-consumer advertising showed recent controversies surrounding COX-2 inhibitors Vioxx and Celebrex had made consumers more attentive to medication risks listed in advertisements.

While direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising is banned in Australia, the findings have significance with the recent rise in indirect advertising to consumers via health education campaigns.

Dr Jill Sewell, president of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, warned the impact of these campaigns could affect overall demand for prescriptions and should be monitored (Medical Observer, 25 March).

The US study of pharmaceutical advertising, involving 1504 adults and conducted by the Princeton Survey Research Associates, showed consumers were more likely to recall risk information from TV commercials (79%) than to recall the stated benefits (71 percent).

US pharmaceutical companies spent a staggering $5.5 billion on advertising to consumers last year, up to 121% from $2.5 billion five years earlier.