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Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and the public

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Drug manufacturers are intensely promoting their products directly to consumers, but the impact has not been widely studied. Consumers’ awareness and understanding of, attitudes toward, and susceptibility to direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising were examined.

DESIGN: Random-digit dialing telephone survey with a random household member selection procedure (completion and response rates, 58% and 69%, respectively).

SETTING: Respondents were interviewed while they were at their residences.

PARTICIPANTS: Complete data were obtained from 329 adults in Sacramento County, California.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Outcome measures included awareness of advertisements for 10 selected drugs, misconceptions about DTC advertising, attitudes toward DTC ads, and behavioral responses to such promotions. The influence of demographic characteristics, health status, attitudes, beliefs, and media exposure on awareness and behaviors was examined. On average, respondents were aware of advertisements for 3.7 of the 10 drugs; awareness varied from 8% for Buspar (buspirone) to 72% for Claritin (loratadine). Awareness was associated with prescription drug use, media exposure, positive attitudes toward DTC advertising, poorer health, and insurance status. Substantial misconceptions were revealed; e.g., 43% thought that only “completely safe” drugs could be advertised. Direct-to-consumer advertisements had led one third of respondents to ask their physicians for drug information and one fifth to request a prescription.

CONCLUSIONS: Direct-to-consumer advertisements are reaching the public, but selectively so, and affecting their behaviors. Implications for public policy are examined.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication, University of California, 95616, Davis, CA

    Robert A. Bell PhD

  2. Division of General Internal Medicine and Director, Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, Calif

    Richard L. Kravitz MD, MSPH

  3. Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif

    Michael S. Wilkes MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Robert A. Bell PhD
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  2. Richard L. Kravitz MD, MSPH
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  3. Michael S. Wilkes MD, PhD
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Additional information

This project was reviewed and approved by the University of California, Davis, Human Subjects Review Committee. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects.

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Bell, R.A., Kravitz, R.L. & Wilkes, M.S. Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and the public. J GEN INTERN MED 14, 651–657 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1999.01049.x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1525-1497.1999.01049.x

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