despite increased availability of online promotional tools for prescription drug marketers, evidence on online prescription drug promotion is far from settled or conclusive. we highlight ways in which online prescription drug promotion is similar to conventional broadcast and print advertising and ways in which it differs. we also highlight five key areas for future research: branded drug websi...

We provide an overview of what is known about the impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs. Specifically, we explore the historical trends that led to the industry's increasing use of this form of promotion. Then, using the published literature to date, we review the impact of DTC advertising on the consumer, the medical profession, and the health care system. We con...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review the phenomenon of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription medications in the media, with an overview of pertinent studies in the literature regarding patients' and healthcare professionals' perspectives on DTC advertising. DATA SOURCES Journal articles, media, and clinical experience. DATA SYNTHESIS DTC advertising of prescription medications is ext...

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of the economic and clinical impacts of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising on consumers and physicians. Design/methodology/approach – Controversy around the benefits and concerns associated with DTC advertising are summarized. The sources are sorted based on their position toward DTC promotions: defending or opposing. Two recent wo...

Starting consumers off on the "path to purchase" by encouraging them to seek more information is a major goal of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising for prescription medications. But the authors found that a consumer's attitude toward DTC advertising can determine which of several paths he or she is likely to take. The attitudes of older adults are especially significant for pharmaceutical mar...

The causes and ramifications of the rise in the consumer debt burden over time have been subject to much debate. This paper first offers a brief overview and analysis of the key economic variables used to evaluate consumer debt levels. The principal focus of the paper, however, is a broad review of the literature on the topic of consumer debt to provide a framework for how to assess recent cred...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To obtain information about the knowledge and attitudes of oncology nurse practitioners (ONPs) concerning the effect of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription medications on prescribing patterns. DESIGN Exploratory survey. SETTING Oncology Nursing Society Nurse Practitioner Special Interest Group members in the United States. SAMPLE 221 of 376 ONPs complet...

This review surveys the developing market for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests and examines the range of companies and tests available, the regulatory landscape, the concerns raised about DTC testing, and the calls for enhanced oversight. We provide a comparative overview of the situation, particularly in the United States and Europe, by exploring the regulatory frameworks for medical dev...

The authors empirically explore the revenue impact of marketing mix variables and their interactions. The findings include: pharmaceutical direct to consumer advertising (DTC) and detailing (sales force) affect demand synergistically; detailing raises price elasticity; and, detailing has a higher ROI than DTC. Other implications and future research directions are discussed.

A recent addition to the debate about the benefits and harms of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of medicines and pharmaceuticals is a growing critique of DTC marketing and sale of genetic tests. Academic and policy literatures exploring this issue have, however, tended to focus on the sale of genetic tests, paying rather less attention to the particular implications of advertising. The glo...