Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20150

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

Saunders B
DTCA and the cost of asthma inhalers
New Zealand Medical Journal 2003 Nov 7; 116:(1185 ):
http://journal.nzma.org.nz/journal/116-1185/672/

Abstract:

Followers of the DTCA debate may well have concluded that the advertising of Flixotide was a clear-cut case of DTCA leading to increased costs to the taxpayer.
This is not in fact the case.
In response to a request under the Official Information Act, PHARMAC on 23 September disclosed the information that the actual cost of asthma inhalers had fallen between 2000 and 2003. The actual costs for each financial year ending 30 June in this period were: 2000, $51 897 776; 2001, $49 742 097; 2002, $49 390 045; and 2003, $50 479 655.
These data tell us that PHARMAC can easily handle any DTCA-created management issues. As noted in my critique of the Toop report,1 PHARMAC’s 2002 review stated that since 1993 the pharmacy vote has been held to an average annual increase of less than 3%, compared with 14% for Australia over the same period.
Fiscally, DTCA is a non-problem. Why don’t those lobbying for its abolition put their energies and talents into a real public health issue such as obesity?
Barrie Saunders
Saunders Unsworth, Wellington

Reference:

Saunders B. Direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs in New Zealand: Professors’ ‘protest to government’ placed under the microscope. 7 April 2003. Available online. URL: http://www.asa.co.nz/Research_Papers/medicine_advertising/DTCA.rtf Accessed November 2003.