Direct-to-consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising Research Articles

Does price disclosure in pharmaceutical advertising result in price transparency? Evidence from a randomized experiment

BackgroundPolicies that mandate list price disclosure in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) cite price transparency among the benefits. The expectation is that price transparency will lead to changes in consumer behavior that will ultimately lower healthcare costs. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to assess the impact of price transparency on perceived level of information and consumer behaviors, specifically intentions to seek treatment and intentions to comparison shop. MethodsA nine-arm randomized experiment was conducted to expose respondents to television advertisements for prescription drugs that varied by price disclosure type (no price/control, list price only, or price plus, which disclosed the list price and typical out-of-pocket cost) and indicated condition (deep vein thrombosis/pulmonary embolism [DVT/PE], diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). The sample was recruited from US adult members of the nationally representative Amerispeak online panel. ResultsThe sample included 2138 respondents. For ads featuring prescription drugs for DVT/PE, findings provide no evidence of an impact from price disclosure on perception of sufficient information. For ads for prescription drugs for diabetes, there was no evidence of an impact from list price only, but the price plus group was more likely than the control group to report the ad provided sufficient information (OR = 2.475). For ads for RA prescription drugs, both the list price only group (OR = 3.380) and price plus group (OR = 2.720) were more likely to report sufficient information than the control. Findings provide no evidence of an impact from price disclosure on consumer behaviors (i.e., intention to seek treatment or intention to comparison shop). ConclusionsMandatory DTCPA list price disclosure may not be the most effective tool for improving price transparency and affecting consumer behavior.

Pharmaceutical Advertising and the Subtle Subversion of Patient Autonomy.

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) is pervasive in the United States. Beyond its effect on consumer behavior, DTCPA changes the relationship between individuals and physicians. The author provides a brief history of pharmaceutical advertising in the United States. The author then analyzes the current commonly used marketing techniques of pharmaceutical companies and argues that pharmaceutical companies are "irrational authorities" in Erich Fromm's sense of the term since they seek to exploit persons. Using concepts from various philosophers from the Continental tradition, with a particular emphasis on the work of Michel Foucault, the author analyzes the power relations involved in DTCPA and ultimately argues that DTCPA subtly undermines the contemporary paradigm of patient autonomy while simultaneously depending upon it by treating health consumers as "dividuals," that is, as porous entities to be manipulated.

Why the “sea of same”? A qualitative look at DTCA within the larger context of healthcare marketing

After over two decades of direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCA), the ads have changed very little, both within and over the years. One respondent in this exploratory study called it the “sea of same.” To better understand why agency professionals, their pharmaceutical clients, and consumers operate in a “sea of same,” in-depth interviews were conducted with nine advertising agency professionals who work on DTCA and health-advertising accounts. Respondents discussed the research, planning, and insight process that informed the strategy and subsequent DTCA tactics. Similar to students or coworkers who always sit in the same seat, DTCA ads exist in a defined comfort zone.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Review for the Emergency Physician of Approval Process and Limitations.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Review for the Emergency Physician of Approval Process and Limitations.

Factors Associated with the Persuasiveness of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising on HPV Vaccination Among Young Women

This quantitative study explored young women's response to direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCA) for a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. In particular, the study examined (a) the association of factors stemming from consumer research with actual and intended behavioral responses to DTCA for HPV and (b) key elements drawn from commonly used health-related theories to determine the strongest associations with behavioral intentions regarding the HPV vaccine. Survey findings showed that vaccinated women indicated that DTCA played a role in their decision to get vaccinated against HPV more so than those who were not vaccinated. Trust in DTCA for an HPV vaccine brand was significantly related to intentions to seek more information about the vaccine. Also, perceived barriers had the only significant association with behavioral intentions when taking into account perceived threat and response efficacy. These results provide practical implications for key industry decision makers and health communication professionals on the design of effective theory-based health communication message content for an HPV vaccine brand with consequent social implications.

Pharmaceutical advertising practitioners' approach to trust and emotion

PurposeStudies of direct‐to‐consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCA) have examined the views of consumers and healthcare providers but the perspective of pharmaceutical advertisers has been largely absent. This study sought to fill that gap by exploring the perspectives of advertising professionals working on pharmaceutical brands.Design/methodology/approachInterviews were conducted among 22 advertising professionals regarding the use of emotion in DTCA and considerations about consumer distrust and ad credibility.FindingsResults suggest emotion is used to gain attention, increase involvement, and enhance information processing. Consumer trust of pharmaceutical companies was recognized as an issue, and various thoughts were provided on trust‐building strategies. However, several respondents expressed doubt that negative opinions of the industry translated into negative evaluations of the specific ads or brands with which consumers were familiar.Research limitations/implicationsBased on participants' assertions, this paper poses a number of specific avenues for future research regarding the effects of emotion on response to DTCA and consumers' conflicting sense of trust within the pharmaceutical category.Originality/valueWhile scholars examining the design and effects of DTCA have inferred the motivations of pharmaceutical advertisers, this study provides insight on practitioners' actual intentions behind the messages created for DTCA.

Direct-to-Consumer Television Advertising: Time to Turn Off the Tube?

Direct-to-Consumer Television Advertising: Time to Turn Off the Tube?

Consumers Young and Old: Segmenting the Target Markets for Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCA) studies have typically focused on older adults or a general population of adults. However, college students are viable targets for DTCA and are receiving more research attention in this area. In this article, we compare college students with two adult age segments. Our findings indicate all age groups had relatively high awareness of DTCA and similar attitudes and behavioral responses to the ads. However, there were significant differences in media use and health characteristics as well as the factors predicting DTCA ad trust, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. Implications and future research suggestions are discussed.

You Can't Say That on Television: Constitutional Analysis of a Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising Ban

In one year, you will watch roughly sixteen hours of pharmaceutical advertisements. Sometime during those sixteen hours, you may recognize in yourself the symptoms portrayed in the advertisements. You may even wonder whether you would benefit from a particular drug. But will you visit your doctor with the fear that you may be suffering from a previously undiagnosed disease? Will you encourage your doctor to prescribe the medication you saw in the advertisements? Will your insurance cover the costs of your medication? More importantly, will you even need the medication at all?The trend in the pharmaceutical industry to increase yearly spending on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCA) seems almost disrespectful considering the magnitude of the healthcare crisis in which the United States is currently embroiled. This notion is inflamed when accounting for the fact that (arguably) one of the biggest problems in our healthcare system is the amount of money spent on healthcare each year.

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising: physician and public opinion and potential effects on the physician-patient relationship.

Previous studies have shown that direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising can influence consumer behavior and that many physicians have negative views of these advertisements. Physician and public opinions about these advertisements and how they may affect the physician-patient relationship are not well established. Mail survey of 523 Colorado physicians and 261 national physicians and telephone survey of 500 Colorado households asking respondents to rate their agreement with statements about DTC advertising. Most physicians tended to view DTC advertisements negatively, indicating that such advertisements rarely provide enough information on cost (98.7%), alternative treatment options (94.9%), or adverse effects (54.8%). Most also believed that DTC advertisements affected interactions with patients by lengthening clinical encounters (55.9%), leading to patient requests for specific medications (80.7%), and changing patient expectations of physicians' prescribing practices (67.0%). Only 29.0% of public respondents agreed that DTC advertising is a positive trend in health care and 28.6% indicated that advertisements make them better informed about medical problems; fewer indicated that advertisements motivated them to seek care (10.5%) or led them to request specific medications from their physicians (13.3%). Most physicians have negative views of DTC pharmaceutical advertising and see several potential effects of these advertisements on the physician-patient relationship. Many public respondents have similarly negative views, and only a few agree that they change their expectations of or interactions with physicians. While these advertisements may be influencing only a few consumers, it seems that the impact on physicians and their interactions with patients may be significant.

DTC pharmaceutical advertising: the debate’s not over

Direct‐to‐consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is no longer the novel experiment it was during the late 1980s. Liberalization of the Food and Drug Administration regulations in the USA, combined with a substantial body of evidence that DTC advertising is a stimulus to consumer purchasing behavior, has resulted in DTC advertising becoming a standard component of every major drug company’s marketing plan. Research since the late 1980s has compared consumers’ perceptions of DTC ads with the perceptions of physicians. While the studies are methodologically diverse, the results have been directionally consistent. In general, consumers have positive attitudes toward DTC advertising, viewing it as a valuable educational resource that helps them become more involved in their health care. A significant proportion of DTC readers claim to have acted directly on the message by talking to their doctor about the advertised brand. Consumers report that they are more likely to take prescribed medication and/or get their prescriptions filled when prompted by DTC advertising. Physicians, however, have been far less enthusiastic about DTC advertising, with majorities expressing the wish that it be decreased, or discontinued altogether. In most studies, only small minorities of physicians believed that it contributed in a positive way to the doctor‐patient relationship. In certain specialties, notably internal medicine and family practice, approval rates were below the norm. We relate problems identified in advertising communication research to applications of DTC pharmaceutical advertising, and identify specific issues in need of further research. Notably, gaining an improved understanding of how well consumers comprehend DTC advertising messages, and which copy elements hinder comprehension, can help the industry to better educate consumers, facilitate improved ad campaign recognition, brand recall and message association, and help promote more constructive, and less confrontational, doctor‐patient relationships.