| In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration
| |
| | 2000). DTC proponents counter arguments
|
| relaxed its restrictions on
| |
| | centered on rising costs by claiming
|
| direct-to-consumer marketing of
| |
| | that increased outlays on prescriptions
|
| pharmaceuticals. Prior to this ruling,
| |
| | save
|
| drug manufacturers were prohibited from
| |
| | money in the long run by preventing the
|
| mentioning both the name of the drug and
| |
| | need for more extensive medical care
|
| its indications in consumer-directed
| |
| | (Moore, 2000). Critics, however, cite
|
| advertisements without also including a
| |
| | the fact that the largest portion of the
|
| large amount of technical information
| |
| | drug
|
| about the drug, including all known side
| |
| | industry's advertising budget goes
|
| effects, contraindications, and dosage
| |
| | toward drugs for non-critical ailments
|
| recommendations (Stevens, 1998).In
| |
| | such as
|
| addition to interfering with the appeal
| |
| | heartburn, allergies, and hair loss
|
| of the advertisements, such requirements
| |
| | (Moore, 2000).Another argument presented
|
| rendered broadcast ads infeasible due to
| |
| | by DTC opponents holds that these ads
|
| time constraints, and hindered ads in
| |
| | result in
|
| print
| |
| | incorrect prescriptions by creating
|
| media due to cost and space
| |
| | consumer demand for products regardless
|
| availability. These requirements were
| |
| | of
|
| abolished in the
| |
| | actual need. Critics believe that
|
| 1997 FDA policy changes, and
| |
| | consumers are sold the idea that a pill
|
| pharmaceutical companies were permitted
| |
| | can instantly
|
| to market
| |
| | provide them with good health (Health
|
| drugs by name as treatments for specific
| |
| | Matters, 1998). Often, however, the drugs
|
| conditions, with the minimal requirement
| |
| | to
|
| that ads give mention to major risks
| |
| | which consumers are exposed are not even
|
| identified in clinical trials (Melillo,
| |
| | the most effective, but simply the ones
|
| 2001). As a
| |
| | with the largest advertising budgets
|
| result, manufacturer expenditures on
| |
| | (Headden and Melton, 1998). According to
|
| direct-to-consumer advertising, which
| |
| | Shapiro and Schultz, patients, if
|
| totaled
| |
| | refused specific prescriptions, will
|
| $791 million in 1996, rose to $2.6
| |
| | frequently visit
|
| billion for the year 2000 (Mitchell,
| |
| | another physician, who may comply with
|
| 2001).
| |
| | the request (2000). In addition to
|
| Television, radio, and print media
| |
| | unnecessarily adding to healthcare
|
| became saturated with ads promoting
| |
| | costs, patient demand pressures doctors
|
| treatments
| |
| | to give
|
| for conditions ranging from depression
| |
| | patients the drugs they request for fear
|
| to high cholesterol.Names such as Zoloft,
| |
| | of losing business (Shapiro and Schultz,
|
| Claritin, and Lipitor, which were
| |
| | 2000). Specific drug requests, according
|
| previously known mostly to
| |
| | to Dr. Angelo Agro, often cause
|
| health professionals, quickly became
| |
| | physicians
|
| part of the national vocabulary.
| |
| | to lose credibility in the eyes of the
|
| Consequently,
| |
| | patient, who has been convinced by
|
| spending on prescription drugs has
| |
| | advertisements that the drug a physician
|
| increased significantly over the past
| |
| | refuses to prescribe is nonetheless the
|
| several
| |
| | best option (Tanner, 2001).Responding to
|
| years as consumers are enticed to seek
| |
| | such concerns, the AMA, at its July 2001
|
| advertised medications
| |
| | meeting, debated a
|
| (HealthBizNews.com,
| |
| | proposal for the organization to
|
| 2001). This new face of drug marketing
| |
| | encourage the federal government to ban
|
| has sparked a raging debate about the
| |
| | all DTC
|
| accompanying effects on the health of
| |
| | prescription drug advertising (Tanner,
|
| the American public: does direct to
| |
| | 2001). While I agree that public exposure
|
| consumer
| |
| |
|
| marketing benefit the public by
| |
| | through advertising of the latest
|
| providing education about available
| |
| | treatments for common conditions raises
|
| treatments, or
| |
| | public
|
| does it diminish the quality of
| |
| | awareness and prompts people to visit
|
| healthcare by raising costs and causing
| |
| | physicians, I nonetheless believe that
|
| unnecessary
| |
| | direct-
|
| treatment? Proponents of
| |
| | to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising
|
| direct-to-consumer, or DTC,
| |
| | does not adequately justify its social
|
| pharmaceutical advertising,
| |
| | costs.
|
| most prominently the drug companies
| |
| | In the case of overt maladies, such as
|
| themselves, argue that DTC marketing
| |
| | allergies or depression, for which a
|
| results in improved public health by
| |
| | large
|
| increasing consumer awareness. According
| |
| | share of advertised drugs are indicated,
|
| to
| |
| | a condition affecting a person's life to
|
| this view, direct marketing to the
| |
| | the
|
| consumer alerts the public of the
| |
| | point of warranting medication would
|
| availability of
| |
| | certainly cause him or her to notice it
|
| treatment for a given condition, a fact
| |
| | and
|
| of which it may not otherwise be aware.
| |
| | presumably to seek treatment. While many
|
| This
| |
| | other products, such as cholesterol
|
| knowledge may prompt people to seek
| |
| | lowering drugs, are used to treat
|
| medical help rather than unnecessarily
| |
| | conditions of which an individual may not
|
| accepting their ailments (Miller, 1998).
| |
| | be
|
| Furthermore, supporters claim that ads
| |
| | aware and that may eventually adversely
|
| raise
| |
| | impact health, these conditions would, in
|
| awareness of undiagnosed conditions by
| |
| |
|
| providing information about
| |
| | nearly all cases, be uncovered during a
|
| symptoms.Since countless Americans suffer
| |
| | routine examination. In both cases, the
|
| from undiagnosed disorders-only half of
| |
| | central benefit accomplished by these
|
| the
| |
| | ads is getting people through the doors
|
| estimated 16 million Americans with
| |
| | of
|
| diabetes know they have the disease-the
| |
| | doctors' offices, an end that can easily
|
| motivation to seek treatment provided by
| |
| | be achieved more cheaply without the use
|
| these ads is a valuable public benefit
| |
| | of
|
| (Health Matters, 1998). Similarly, by
| |
| | DTC advertising. For example, less
|
| prompting people to visit a doctor, ads
| |
| | expensive public service campaigns
|
| may
| |
| | encouraging
|
| help identify conditions unrelated to
| |
| | people to have routine checkups and
|
| the specific area of concern. For
| |
| | informing the public of warning signs of
|
| example,
| |
| | common conditions would achieve the same
|
| according to Mike Magee, a medical
| |
| | results without affecting the cost of
|
| adviser for Pfizer, a large proportion of
| |
| | healthcare. As the situation now stands,
|
|
| |
| | the benefits that do result from DTC
|
| consumers seeking Viagra would not
| |
| | advertising are purchased at the price
|
| otherwise see a doctor, so visits seeking
| |
| | of reduced healthcare quality for some.As
|
| help
| |
| | drug advertising drives up the cost of
|
| for erectile dysfunction often uncover
| |
| | treatment, healthcare providers will be
|
| conditions warranting medical attention,
| |
| | forced to cut costs in other areas and
|
| such
| |
| | may find it necessary to compromise
|
| as diabetes (Shapiro and Schultz, 2000).
| |
| | coverage
|
| Some doctors support DTC ads as well,
| |
| | by denying certain procedures or raising
|
| claiming that they make their jobs
| |
| | premiums. Increased premiums may drive
|
| easier by resulting in better informed
| |
| | people who fund their own health
|
| patients.
| |
| | insurance out of the system by making
|
| Many ads, particularly for diabetes,
| |
| | personal
|
| stress the importance of self-management
| |
| | insurance unaffordable. Additionally
|
| of
| |
| | higher premiums may discourage large
|
| disease, which may increase compliance
| |
| | employers, which often independently
|
| with doctors orders and result in reduced
| |
| | provide their employees with health
|
|
| |
| | coverage, from continuing this practice.
|
| need for more extensive medical care
| |
| | General Motors spent $900 million
|
| (New York Times, 2001).Doctors appreciate
| |
| | covering
|
| having patients who are already briefed
| |
| | prescription drugs in 2000, a 19%
|
| about current drug
| |
| | increase over the previous year (Cassels,
|
| therapies, which saves time in a medical
| |
| | 2001).
|
| system that often requires doctors to see
| |
| | Escalating costs may render those
|
|
| |
| | without prescription coverage unable to
|
| as many as thirty patients per day (New
| |
| | afford
|
| York Times, 2001). Critics of direct-to-
| |
| | necessary medications. Furthermore, the
|
| consumer drug ads, including the
| |
| | production of a drug is only possible
|
| American Medical Association, insurance
| |
| | when
|
| providers, and many physicians cite
| |
| | the disease it treats becomes understood
|
| increasing healthcare costs, improper
| |
| | through years of basic research, most of
|
| prescriptions, and corrupted
| |
| | which is conducted by publicly funded
|
| doctor-patient relations as this type of
| |
| | academic investigators. Since public
|
| marketing's
| |
| | money
|
| major resultant evils. Substantial
| |
| | lays the groundwork for pharmaceutical
|
| evidence exists that the escalation of
| |
| | production, drug companies have a
|
| DTC
| |
| | responsibility to the taxpayers not to
|
| advertising has increased expenditure on
| |
| | engage in practices that will result in a
|
| pharmaceutical purchases. Prescription
| |
| |
|
| drug spending increased 84% between 1993
| |
| | reduction in the quality of
|
| and 1998, and it is estimated that
| |
| | healthcare.The major problems underlying
|
| consumer-directed advertising increased
| |
| | this situation is that, under our current
|
| drug expenditure by $13 billion in 1998
| |
| | insurance
|
| alone (Cassels, 2001).The twenty-five
| |
| | structure, the costs of increasing drug
|
| most advertised drugs of 2000 accounted
| |
| | prices do not accrue to the consumer and
|
| for forty-one percent of
| |
| | thus do not decrease demand as they
|
| expenditure on new prescriptions
| |
| | should in a free market system. As a
|
| (Sherrid, 2000). Escalating prescription
| |
| | result,
|
| cost is of
| |
| | the pharmaceutical companies are not
|
| particular concern to healthcare
| |
| | given proper incentive to control prices.
|
| providers such as HMOs and large
| |
| |
|
| corporations,
| |
| | Insurance providers, rather than
|
| which face a choice between curbing
| |
| | transferring rising costs to consumers
|
| costs and cutting benefits (Cassels,
| |
| | through
|
| 2001).
| |
| | reduced care, need to restore the
|
| Additionally, those without prescription
| |
| | incentive to curb drug prices and hold
|
| drug coverage must pay the increased
| |
| | the
|
| rates
| |
| | pharmaceutical companies responsible for
|
| out-of-pocket (Shapiro and Schwarz,
| |
| | their exorbitant budgets.
|
