Healthy Skepticism Library item: 6675

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

Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists
Response to questions to be addressed by the Drugs Directorate consultation workshop on direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs
: Canadian Society of Hospital Pharmacists 1996 Jun
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb-dgps/therapeut/zfiles/english/consult/wkshd2ca.zip

Abstract:

Direct-to-consumer advertising is a concept which would affect the manner in which health care professionals interact in partnership with their patients by introducing a potentially biased source of information. It would be very difficult to provide consumers with an objective balance to this information source. There is little or no objective cost, safety or health status data reflecting the impact of advertising of prescription drugs to consumers. The “consumer” in this type of advertising is often not the payer; therefore normal market conditions do not apply. This presents the question as to whether the typical consumer can objectively and effectively weigh the cost/benefit/risks regarding the drug product(s) being advertised.

Keywords:
*policy statement & guideline/Canada/DTCA/direct-to-consumer advertising/quality of information/regulation of promotion/attitude toward promotion/consumer drug prices/preclearance of advertisements/ATTITUDES REGARDING PROMOTION: HEALTH PROFESSIONALS/EVALUATION OF PROMOTION: DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: CONSUMER DRUG COSTS/INFLUENCE OF PROMOTION: CONSUMERS AND PATIENTS