Drug Advertising

The pros, cons and caveats

Introduction

How bad has it become?

• Youtube Act 1

• Youtube Act 2

YearSpending on DTC

advertising

Spending onpromotion to physicians

Retail value of samples

R & D

1997 $1.1 $3.9 $6.0 $15.5

2000 $2.5 $5.6 $8.5 $21.4

2003 $3.3 $7.4 $13.5 $27.1

2004 $4.0 $7.8 $15.9 $29.8

2005 $4.2 $7.2 not available $31.4

Avg annual % increase

19.6 9.0 14.9 9.3

Total % increase, ‘97-’05

296.4 86.0 162.4 103.3

Spending on drug advertising from 1997 - 2005

Prescription Drugs: Improvements Needed in FDA's Oversight of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising', GAO report Number GAO-07-54, December 14, 2006

Incentives for refills

http://www.fda.gov/cder/ddmac/P3Benzing/sld023.htm

Patient & caregiver tools

http://www.fda.gov/cder/ddmac/P3Benzing/sld023.htm

Pros for consumer

• Educates patients• Prompts patients to visit doctor• Prompts patients to talk about difficult

conditions• Can reduce costs by early treatment• Might alert patients to a potential

disease• Empowers consumers to be active in

their care

Pros for doctor

• Facilitates communication with patients

• Prompts patients to discuss conditions openly

• Promotes need for MDs to remain educated about drugs

• Strengthens provider-patient bond

Pros for drug companies

• Drug companies feel patients have right to know and choose

• They empower consumers with information

• They urge patients to seek treatment

• Can reduce spending on medical services through early treatment and diagnosis

Cons of drug advertising

• Appeals to emotions

• Misleading

• Benefits overstated

• Understated risks & side effects

• Influences patients to ask for meds they don’t need

• Encourages money on brand names

More cons…

• Sometimes they target a condition that is not a condition (like the spoofs)

• Undermines physician/patient relationship

• Bribery from drug companies

• Consumers lack information on safety & efficacy needed to make a smart decision

• FDA oversight is weak

http://democracyinaction.org/dia/organizations/commercialalert/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1415&t=stop_drug_ads_home.dwt