Healthy Skepticism Library item: 4608

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: report

Lurie P
Testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Aging on The Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising on Seniors’ Health and Health Care Costs (HRG Publication #1751)
: Health Research Group 2005 Sep 29
http://www.citizen.org/publications/release.cfm?ID=7402

Abstract:

Like all interventions in health care, direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising should be evaluated by comparing its risks to its benefits, in the context of the available or potentially available alternatives. The objective, of course, is to realize the potential benefits while minimizing the risks. On balance, we believe that the clearly demonstrated adverse effects of DTC advertising outweigh the still-undemonstrated, theoretical benefits of the advertising. Every country in the world has reached this conclusion, except the United States. Only New Zealand has ever permitted DTC advertising, but it imposed a moratorium in December 2004. The European Union considered permitting DTC advertising, but rejected the idea.

DTC Advertisements Bear Little Relationship to Public Health Needs