Abstract
Abstract Objective: To determine the informational content of nine pharmaceutical company websites about the antidepressant medication marketed by the company.
Method: A structured, explicit review of materials found on pharmaceutical company websites about nine antidepressants for which no generic drug is available was conducted using eight popular search engines. The accessibility of these websites was also determined using these search engines.
Results: Of 72 searches (one for each drug using each search engine), 46 yielded the pharmaceutical company website within the top 10 links. When outliers were removed, the company website was found in the top 10 links for 45 of 56 searches. All of the websites contain information of an advertising and emotive nature. Of the nine company websites, three contain anecdotal information; only two mention electroconvulsive therapy and four mention other types of drug therapy; and only one mentions the tradenames of other drugs. None of the websites mention drug costs, only one has efficacy statistics for the company’s drug and, although all of the websites mention at least one adverse effect of the company’s drug, only one lists percentages for adverse effects.
Conclusion: The information about drugs for treating depression on pharmaceutical company websites aimed at consumers is limited and makes it difficult for consumers to compare drugs.
Similar content being viewed by others
Notes
Use of tradenames is for product identification only and does not imply endorsement.
References
Fox S, Rainie L. Pew Charitable Trust Internet and American Life Study [online]. Available from URL: http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/chart.asp?.img=6_daily_activities.jpg [Accessed 2001 Apr 19]
Fox S, Rainie L. Pew Charitable Trust Internet and American Life Study [online]. Available from URL: http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/chart.asp?.img=6_internet_activities. jpg [Accessed 2001 Apr 10]
NIH CancerTrials [online]. Available from URL: http://cancertrials.nci.nih.gov/ [Accessed 2001 Aug 11]
CDC Travel Information [online]. Available from URL: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/ [Accessed 2001 Aug 11]
MD-Consult [online]. Available from URL: http://www.mdconsult.com [Accessed 2001 Aug 11]
Bell RA, Wilkes MS, Kravitz RL. The educational value of consumer-targeted prescription drug print advertising. J Fam Pract 2000; 49: 1092–8
Kessler DA. Addressing the problem of misleading advertising. Ann Intern Med 1992; 116: 950–1
Hollon MF. Direct-to-consumer marketing of prescription drugs: creating consumer demand. JAMA 1999; 281: 382–4
Wade VA, Mansfield PR, McDonald PJ. Drug companies’ evidence to justify advertising. Lancet 1989; 2: 1261–4
Anonymous. Drug advertising: is this good medicine? Consum Rep 1996 Jun; 61 (6): 62-3
Griffiths KM, Christensen H. Quality of web based information on treatment of depression: cross sectional survey. BMJ 2000; 321: 1151–5
Rhoades R, editor. The Pharmacy Times [online]. Available from URL: http://www.pharmacytimes.com/top200.shtml [Accessed 2001 Aug 1]
SearchEngineWatch.com. The Major Search Engines (updated 22 Jan 2002) [online]. Available from URL: http://searchenginewatch.com/links/major.html [Accessed 2002 Feb 2]
Sullivan D. Jupiter Media Metrix Search Engine Ratings (updated 19 Feb 2002) [online]. Available from URL: http://searchenginewatch.com/reports/mediametrix.html [Accessed 2002 Feb 21]
Foltz A, Sullivan J. Readability level, learning presentation preference, and desire for information among cancer patients. J Cancer Educ 1996; 11: 32–8
Murphy PW. Reading ability of parents compared with readability level of pediatric patient education materials. Pediatrics 1994; 93: 460–8
Wilson FL. Measuring patients’ ability to read and comprehend: a first step in patient education. Nursingconnections 1995; 8: 17–25
Estey A, Musseau A, Keehn L. Patient’s understanding of health information: a multihospital comparison. Patient Educ Couns 1994; 24: 73–8
Siegel D, Lopez J. Trends in antihypertensive drug use in the United States: do the JNC V recommendations affect prescribing? JAMA 1997; 278: 1745–8
Liebman H. Consumer, heal thyself: ads for prescription drugs are popping up more frequently in consumer media. Mediaweek 1993; 3: 12
Bell RA, Wilkes MS, Kravitz RL. Advertisement-induced prescription drug requests: patients’ anticipated reactions to a physician who refuses. J Fam Pract 1999; 48: 446–52
Spurgeon D. Doctors feel the pressure from direct to consumer advertising. West J Med 2000; 172: 60
Holmer AF. Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising builds bridges between patients and physicians. JAMA 1999; 281: 380–2
Seals TD, Keith MR. Influence of patient information leaflets on anticonvulsant drug compliance in prison. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1997; 54: 2585–7
Lowe CJ, Raynor DK, Courtney EA, et al. Effects of self medication programme on knowledge of drugs and compliance with treatment in elderly patients. BMJ 1995; 310: 1229–31
Likar LL, Panciera TM, Erickson AD, et al. Group education sessions and compliance with nasal CPAP therapy. Chest 1997; 111: 1273–7
Haynes RB, McKibben KA, Kanani R. Systematic review of randomised trials of interventions to assist patients to follow prescriptions for medications. Lancet 1996; 348: 383–6
Powell KM, Edgren B. Failure of educational videotapes to improve medication compliance in a health maintenance organization. Am J Health Syst Pharm 1995; 52: 2196–9
Acknowledgements
No sources of funding were used in the preparation of this article, and the authors have no conflicts of interest that are relevant to its contents.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Graber, M.A., Weckmann, M. Pharmaceutical Company Internet Sites As Sources of Information About Antidepressant Medications. Mol Diag Ther 16, 419–423 (2002). https://doi.org/10.2165/00023210-200216060-00005
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00023210-200216060-00005