Healthy Skepticism Library item: 2221

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: news

Silverman E.
Consumers buy what drug firms pitch
Star-Ledger 2001 Nov 21

Abstract:

Top promoted medicines lead increase in sales

Full text:

Only 50 drugs — all of them heavily advertised to consumers — were responsible for nearly half of the $21 billion increase in consumer spending last year on prescription medicines, a new study found.

The combined sales of these top-selling drugs rose 32 percent last year, compared with just 13.6 percent for nearly 10,000 other prescription medicines in 1999, according to the National Institute for Health Care Management, a nonprofit that conducted the study.

The gains come after a steady increase in advertisements aimed directly at consumers.

“Direct-to-consumer ads are still a relatively small component of all prescription drug promotions, but they are clearly becoming an important influence,” said Nancy Chockley, who heads NICHM, which is supported, in part, by insurance companies.

The findings underscore an ongoing debate about the role played by increased consumer advertising. Doctors complain the ads encourage patients to demand medicines without knowing much more than what may be seen in a commercial.

Drug makers, however, maintain ads boost their competitive edge and prompt consumers to pay more attention to their health while exploring options. The industry trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, rejected the findings.

“Surveys of both patients and physicians show that direct-to-consumer advertising leads patients who would otherwise go without medical care for these terrible illnesses to seek treatment for the first time,” said Alan Holmer, the trade group’s president.

The drug most heavily promoted included Merck & Co.‘s Vioxx painkiller, AstraZeneca Plc’s Prilosec ulcer treatment and Schering-Plough Corp.‘s Claritin antihistamine.

The amount of direct-to-consumer spending by pharmaceutical companies reached $2.5 billion last year, up from $1.8 billion. That is still a small portion of the $13.9 billion spent on overall promotions.

Overall spending on prescription drugs at the retail level — pharmacies, supermarkets and mass merchandisers — rose 18.8 percent in 2000 to $132 billion.

Ed Silverman covers the drug industry and can be reached at (973) 392-1542 or esilverman@starledger.com.