Over the last several years, pharmaceutical companies have launched a campaign style called Direct to Consumer Drug Advertising or known as DTCA. This campaign has led to a large increase of clinical examinations has led to a large increase in clinical examination and this makes the pharmaceutical companies happy and helps padding their pockets. Using this type of advertising, these drug companies allow details of a particular drug to spread to a potential patient and then most likely pushed by the doctor upon visit. These types of advertising campaigns are focused on trying to “enrich” the consumer (Relman p28). Even though this type of advertising campaign allows most drugs to be cheaper overall, consumers should be concerned about the ethical and psychological effect it might have because of the type of massive advertising campaign it has become. This particular study will go on to explain the unethical impact a campaign like this has on side effects and addictions (Findlay p39).
In the United States over the last twenty years, the media has also started increasing advertising in this manner to both consumers and doctors. The media targets sources like magazines, internet, TV and social networks to gain the consumers attention (Gerald 7). This type of advertising campaign creates awareness about a drugs and maximizes profits but is also used to education consumers and an information source for medical experts (Gerald 7).
In 1938 a law passed called the Cosmetic and Food Act, then the pharmaceutical advertising boom came along (Relman p28). In 1962 this act was challenged and required proof of drug safety before it could be advertised. The physician to patient method was what was used the most in marketing pharmaceuticals in t...
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...he doctors lack any solid evidence to support the claim of the company having a negative influence. Because of these mixed beliefs, advertisers encourage consumers to ask more questions on any drug prescribed to them and see if it lines up with the advertisement (Findlay p39).
There is plenty of evidence showing that OTC medication has intensified because of advertising. This growth can be seen with many different views from an ethics standpoint. However, these advertisements allow the consumer to exercise their right of views, regardless of doctor recommendations. In theory, the doctor would respect the patient’s opinion and decisions. These advertising campaigns are important in consumer education even if the doctors see it as unethical, but at the end of the day, there needs to be more research in regards to the effectiveness or negativity of DTCA advertisements.
In Melody Peterson’s “Our Daily Meds” , the history of marketing and advertising in the pharmaceutical industry is explored. The first chapter of the book, entitled “Creating disease”, focuses on how major pharmaceutical companies successfully create new ailments that members of the public believe exist. According to Peterson, the success that these drug manufacturers have experienced can be attributed to the malleability of disease, the use of influencial people to promote new drugs, the marketing behind pills, and the use of media outlets.
Direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing of pharmaceuticals has grown increasingly in the past decade. The American public views prescription drug advertising for a wide range of medical conditions, including high cholesterol, depression, allergies, and erectile dysfunction. The Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the content of these advertisements. Critics also have taken the position that the advertisements garner unearned trust from the public, are misleading, and promote unnecessary use of prescription drugs for common problems associated with aging. Proponents counter that DTC ads help eliminate stigmas associated with certain medical conditions, give patients an active role in their health care management, and encourages the doctor/patient relationship. There have been calls for bans on DTC pharmaceutical advertising, but the practice is protected under a business’s right to free speech. Regulation changes, particularly requiring the FDA to pre-approve marketing campaigns before they are released to the public, may be one way to appease opponents, while protecting the rights of pharmaceutical manufacturers to advertise to the average American consumer.
"In the past two decades or so, health care has been commercialized as never before, and professionalism in medicine seems to be giving way to entrepreneurialism," commented Arnold S. Relman, professor of medicine and social medicine at Harvard Medical School (Wekesser 66). This statement may have a great deal of bearing on reality. The tangled knot of insurers, physicians, drug companies, and hospitals that we call our health system are not as unselfish and focused on the patients' needs as people would like to think. Pharmaceutical companies are particularly ruthless, many of them spending millions of dollars per year to convince doctors to prescribe their drugs and to convince consumers that their specific brand of drug is needed in order to cure their ailments. For instance, they may present symptoms that are perfectly harmless, and lead potential citizens to believe that, because of these symptoms, they are "sick" and in need of medication. In some instances, the pharmaceutical industry in the United States misleads both the public and medical professionals by participating in acts of both deceptive marketing practices and bribery, and therefore does not act within the best interests of the consumers.
First, when viewing DTC prescription drug ads, the public cannot understand the wording used to describe the drugs. Because of this, the producers of these ads are able to manipulate the drug’s effects to sway people into buying them. According to the article, 74% of surveyed doctors believe that the benefits expressed in prescription drug ads are embellished (paragraph 5). This inaccurate information causes patients to be misinformed as to the effects of the drug. Opposingly, 48% of doctors state that these ads inform and educate patients about DTC prescription drugs (paragraph 6). The percentages
DTC advertisements aim to persuade that their possibly less effective drugs work better than other drugs rather than to inform consumers of correct information about drugs. The reason that pharmaceutical companies abuse the power of DTC advertising is because the pharmaceutical industry does not have a strong ethical code for advertising; their sales are so obsessed with profits. To solve this problem, policy makers should prohibit indiscreet DTC advertisements on air and fund more informative services about new drugs so that patients could make clever
There is a debate on whether direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical drugs is moral. These drug companies believe they are providing consumer awareness for patients potentially suffering illnesses, while critics argue that patients demand particular drugs from their doctor while there might be
The use of DTC marketing by pharmaceutical companies has both positive and negative consequences for the parties concerned in this issues.
Why do consumers purchase specific drugs for various ailments, sicknesses or diseases they might have? Why do physicians prescribe certain drugs over competitive drugs that may be available to the public? Why is it that most of us can easily name specific drugs that fit the many ailments of today’s society? On the surface the answer might be as simple as good TV advertising or radio commercials or even internet adds. The truth of matter is the major pharmaceutical manufacturers own the patents on these drugs and this gives them all of the marketing budget and muscle they need to promote the drug and control the pricing. The incentives for larger pharmaceutical companies are very enticing and as a result, they don’t mind spending the time in clinical trials and patent courts to get their drugs approved. Some will even get patents on the process by which the drug is manufactured, ensuring that no competitor can steal the drug or the process. This protects their large financial investment and nearly guarantees a large return for their investors. Many consumer rights groups claim this is nothing more than legalizing monopolies for the biggest manufacturers.
Marketers operating in the drug industry have to push their products which then raises the ethical questions that surround the profession of medical delivery. Pharmaceutical companies disburse billions of dollars annually to research, develop, and market drugs. Every pharmacy company needs the endorsement of their drugs from physicians and doctors, so they have to ensure that the doctors are well treated. According to the Pew Charitable Trust, the pharmaceutical corporation spent over $27 billion on advertising alone in 2012, with $24 billion of that dedicated to marketing to physicians. (Kessel, 2014) A further survey conducted by Deloitte shows that 35% of the doctors accept some gratuity payment from the pharmacy companies and 16% of the doctors take money to represent the pharmacy company in conferences and health camps. (Kessel, 2014) The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education declares that pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies funded almost one-third of continuing medical education (CME) opportunities for doctors in 2011.( (Barnett, 1989)
According to Kantar Media, “It paid off for Big Pharma.” The same year, Americans spent a record $457 billion on prescription drugs.” The reason all of the patients have been filling their prescriptions is because big pharma is making the most money off of the filling of prescriptions. It has been determined that they are forcing patients to get their prescriptions even if they do not need them. In advertisements it fails to tell you the hidden costs and the devastating side effects this makes the critics say,” The ads drive up drug prices and erode the patient-doctor relationship.” This causes the patients to become untrustworthy of their doctors and they fear that they have to take something that they don't need, and i makes them think they have a disease because of the false advertisement
I have chosen to review an article from the Journal of Health Communication. The Journal of Health Communication reports studies both of qualitative and quantitative values for the scholarly and professional individual. It is designed to give concise and ethical reviews of academic research (Scott C. Ratzan). Furthermore, the Journal of Health Communication focuses on promoting the vital life of the individual and the good health of the world’s people with presentation of research for the purpose of better health (Scott C. Ratzan). I choose to review an article which focused on the increased volume of prescription drug advertising directed to consumer, as it has grown tremendously over the past few decades. It has been reported, drug advertisements have experienced a significant increase in the amount of money spent on advertising from $47 million dollars in 1990 to nearly $2.5 billion in 2000 (Frank, Berndt, Donohue, Epstein, & Rosenthal, 2002; M...
Although the pharmaceutical industry says that prescription medicines are as safe as they can possibly be, prescribed drugs have a high increase of risking a patient’s health. According to the law, drug makers seek Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for specific uses of their products and conduct trials to test their drugs safety and effectiveness in patients with specific conditions. The FDA demands that drug companies conduct rigorous clinical trials to prove a drugs safety and effectiveness in treating a particular disease. However, once the FDA approves a drug for one use, doctors can prescribe it for whatever they want. The FDA is considering loosening the monitoring of off-label prescriptions, but if anything, regulations should be tightened. Despite the practices of some medical personnel, the risk of serious medical complications demands that the FDA regulate and restrict off-label use of prescription drugs.
Drug advertising for prescription medications comes in many forms including ads in magazines or newspaper, TV commercials, radio broadcasts, brochures, etc. It was in the mid 80s when drug companies started to direct information on prescription drugs to consumers instead of only focusing information on the physicians or pharmacists (FDA, 2012). The change seen in prescription drug promotion towards the public is known as direct-to-consumer advertising. This type of advertising is completely directed to a general audience rather than healthcare providers.
Prescription drug advertising is a normal part of living in the United States. Considering what people can learn through advertising in society is almost unreal. The US population have encountered drug advertisements dating back to the early 1900’s. From heroin to aspirin and everything in between were at once listed to be advertised. Fast forward to today, and pharmaceutical companies continue to use high amounts of prescription drugs advertisements. People right now are seeing the effects that these advertisements have in negative ways, but also at the same time creating benefits in society.
“According to the General Accounting Office, more than half of the prescription drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) between 1976 and 1985 caused serious side effects that later caused the drugs to be either relabeled or removed from the market. Drugs app...