Direct to Consumer (DTC) Advertising

Research conducted by the Institute for Health Policy (n.d) concludes that “One common way pharmaceutical companies promote their products to patients is direct-to-consumer (known as DTC) advertising through television commercials, online ads, print magazines, and social media. The United States is one of only 2 countries that allow DTC broadcast advertising for pharmaceuticals. Since the Food and Drug Administration relaxed requirements for pharmaceutical broadcast advertisements in 1997, consumer drug advertising spending has grown substantially. In 2016, the pharmaceutical industry spent $6 billion on 4.6 million DTC ads, including 663,000 television commercials. DTC advertisements create an array of public health and fiscal concerns, including over-prescribing; increased demand for clinically inappropriate, expensive versions of medications; and higher drug spending that may not produce better health outcomes. Consumers exposed to drug advertisements often ask clinicians to obtain an advertised product. For example, one survey found that 1 in 8 adults were prescribed a specific drug after seeing it in an advertisement and asking their physician about it.”Institute for Health Policy (n.d).
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