Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising
Direct-to-Consumer advertising (DTCA) is a potentially influential source of consumer health information. Currently, it is only permitted in the United States (US) and New Zealand. (Business Ethics –p320) It surprises me that the purpose of the ads and the goals of doctors in prescribing the medicine are out of sync. The doctor apparently, wants to cure or make the patient feel good/OK. The drug company wants to increase revenue. So, a problem would seem to come up in that the most money-making, not necessarily the most effective prescription but, is the one that benefits more from advertising. DTCA is a massive problem, it generates a burden on doctors to prescribe - even when they feel the prescription …show more content…
Direct-to-Consumer advertising covers both prescription and over-the-counter products advertised through television, radio, internet and print media. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US began working on the advertising of prescription drugs and issued guidelines concerning the information obtained within the DTC advertising, which resulted in substantial increases in broadcast DTCA. (Business Ethics –p319)
The FDA does not evaluate each message previously to the release. Rules are still being working in an effort to get the best out of benefits and reduce the risks associated with Direct-to-Consumer advertising. Since the beginning of the DTCA’s, there have been a lot of studies on the effects of DTCA on consumer behavior, physician behavior, health care delivery, health care utilization, risks and benefits, and health outcome in the US.
Direct-to-Consumer advertising can influence numerous faces of health care including: alerting consumers to potentially beneficial treatments; increasing the number of patients taking a needed and well tolerated medicine; increasing or decreasing the number of patients taking medications without medical benefit ; reducing morbidity and mortality rates; and either increasing or reducing health care costs. (Business Ethics …show more content…
According to the article by NCSL, they performed an analysis from 1999 to 2000, where “prescriptions written for the top 50 most heavily advertised drugs rose 24.6 percent, compared to 4.3 percent for all other drugs combined. At an estimated annual cost of $2.5 billion”. . (Cauchi & Hinkley) The drug company marketing to consumers made drug companies and their brand products improved conversations with patients, improved the understanding of their sickness and treatment, and improved the chances that patients were taking their prescribed medications as directed. Also, it improved the diagnosis of their new conditions. In addition, it is observed that DTCA gives patients more control over their care and well-being by encouraging patient to visits their providers and a more cooperating clinical visit. However, there is still a lot of arguments on the understanding of study results and whether the general outcome from DTCA is positive or negative. Within the reviewed studies, there is a definite difference of opinion on the impact of DTCA with respect to the patient-provider relationship among both groups: patients and providers. (Cauchi &
Direct-to-Consumer advertising (DTCA) is a potentially influential source of consumer health information. Currently, it is only permitted in the United States (US) and New Zealand. (Business Ethics –p320) It surprises me that the purpose of the ads and the goals of doctors in prescribing the medicine are out of sync. The doctor apparently, wants to cure or make the patient feel good/OK. The drug company wants to increase revenue. So, a problem would seem to come up in that the most money-making, not necessarily the most effective prescription but, is the one that benefits more from advertising. DTCA is a massive problem, it generates a burden on doctors to prescribe - even when they feel the prescription …show more content…
Direct-to-Consumer advertising covers both prescription and over-the-counter products advertised through television, radio, internet and print media. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US began working on the advertising of prescription drugs and issued guidelines concerning the information obtained within the DTC advertising, which resulted in substantial increases in broadcast DTCA. (Business Ethics –p319)
The FDA does not evaluate each message previously to the release. Rules are still being working in an effort to get the best out of benefits and reduce the risks associated with Direct-to-Consumer advertising. Since the beginning of the DTCA’s, there have been a lot of studies on the effects of DTCA on consumer behavior, physician behavior, health care delivery, health care utilization, risks and benefits, and health outcome in the US.
Direct-to-Consumer advertising can influence numerous faces of health care including: alerting consumers to potentially beneficial treatments; increasing the number of patients taking a needed and well tolerated medicine; increasing or decreasing the number of patients taking medications without medical benefit ; reducing morbidity and mortality rates; and either increasing or reducing health care costs. (Business Ethics …show more content…
According to the article by NCSL, they performed an analysis from 1999 to 2000, where “prescriptions written for the top 50 most heavily advertised drugs rose 24.6 percent, compared to 4.3 percent for all other drugs combined. At an estimated annual cost of $2.5 billion”. . (Cauchi & Hinkley) The drug company marketing to consumers made drug companies and their brand products improved conversations with patients, improved the understanding of their sickness and treatment, and improved the chances that patients were taking their prescribed medications as directed. Also, it improved the diagnosis of their new conditions. In addition, it is observed that DTCA gives patients more control over their care and well-being by encouraging patient to visits their providers and a more cooperating clinical visit. However, there is still a lot of arguments on the understanding of study results and whether the general outcome from DTCA is positive or negative. Within the reviewed studies, there is a definite difference of opinion on the impact of DTCA with respect to the patient-provider relationship among both groups: patients and providers. (Cauchi &