Healthy Skepticism Library item: 7897

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

Pines WL.
Direct-to-consumer advertising.
Ann Pharmacother 2000 Nov; 34:(11):1341-4
http://www.theannals.com/cgi/reprint/34/11/1341

Abstract:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) policy allowing the direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs, the potential benefits and drawbacks of this type of advertising, and opportunities for the involvement of health care professionals are discussed.

These issues will be debated and should be, even as DTC advertising of prescription drugs becomes further entrenched. I hope that physicians will see DTC advertising not as a nuisance, but rather as an opportunity to enhance health care by enabling more people to understand diseases and treatments, treat more broadly diseases that now are underdiagnosed or undertreated, and become better communicators and deliver more caring medical attention to their patients.

Keywords:
Advertising/economics Advertising/methods* Humans Patient Education* Pharmaceutical Preparations* United States United States Food and Drug Administration