Drug companies spent about $2.8 billion last year for direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising, Edwin Slaughter, corporate director/market research at Rodale Inc., publisher of Prevention Magazine and other health publications, told PRSA's Health Academy April 12 in Washington, D.C.

That is based of findings of a survey of ad spending that Prevention conducted with technical assistance from the Food and Drug Administration.

Edwin Slaughter

The study of 1,601 people was conducted last fall.

Respondents were not readers of Prevention and the results of the survey have not been published in the magazine. Prevention has tracked consumer reaction to DTC advertising prior to, and following the FDA August 1997 draft guidance for broadcast ads.

Do they work?

Some findings are bound to disappoint drug companies.

Among those is that fact that a mere 32% of respondents said they had talked to their doctor about a drug as a result of seeing an ad while 29% have asked their doctor to prescribe a drug they saw advertised. It is about the same level as in 1997.

The May 2002 issue of Prevention features ads for such prescription drugs as Nexium (acid reflux drug), Aricept (Alzheimer's drug), Avandia (diabetes drug), Allegra (allergy drug), Vioxx (arthritis drug), Singulair (asthma drug), Clarinex (allergy drug), Viagra (impotence drug), and an ad from the FDA.

The April 15 Newsweek featured ads for Viagra, Clarinex, and Zyrtec (allergy drug). Time carried ads for Flonase (allergy drug), Nexium, and Avandia.
Negatives cited

Other findings include: 69% of respondents say that ads exaggerate the benefits of the drugs, 59% say they can confuse people about risks, and 49% say they can cause tension between doctors and patients.

One wonders if the "health scare factor" of the drug ads, which many times warn of a potentially "serious and incurable medical condition" that a person may have, along with a list of side effects that often seem worse than an illness itself, may be having an effect.

For instance, an ad for Nexium, the acid reflux disease drug, starts with these sentences: "If you suffer from persistent heartburn 2 or more days a week, even though you've treated it and changed your diet, it may be due to acid reflux disease. And that can be serious.

Because, over time, acid reflux can erode or wear away the delicate lining of your esophagus."

The FDA-required patient summary page that accompanies the Nexium ad lists such potential adverse reactions as facial edema, hypertension, fibromyalgia syndrome, pharynx disorder, hernia, ulcerative stomatitis, vomiting, earache, confusion, insomnia, taste loss, vertigo, rash, and abnormal vision.

An ad for Aricept, a drug for Alzheimer's, reads, "Aricept is well tolerated but may not be for everyone. Some people may experience nausea, diarrhea, insomnia, vomiting, muscle cramps, fatigue or loss of appetite. In some studies, these side effects were usually mild and temporary. Some people taking Aricept may experience fainting. People at risk for ulcers should tell their doctors because their condition may get worse."

Ads empower consumers

"What is the problem with DTC?" asked Slaughter. "People don't want to be sick."

For instance, he explained, when consumers see an ad for a Snickers bar, they want to go out and buy one, however, when they see an ad for Lipitor, they don't want high cholesterol.

In describing the healthcare market in the U.S. right now, Slaughter said that the fastest growing population is in the 45-64 age category.

He said that people in this age bracket can begin to be affected by such diseases as diabetes, hypertension, high blood pressure, arthritis, and other chronic illnesses. As a result they will spend more on healthcare.

Slaughter said 62% of respondents to the Prevention survey said they feel their healthcare providers are more concerned with making money than providing high quality care. And many of the respondents to the survey said they are less trusting of their doctor's advice than they were one year ago.

"The healthcare market is now becoming the self-care market," said Slaughter. "People are saying, ‘I can't neglect my health anymore.' DTC is effective in that it empowers consumers," he added.

Click here for complete results of Prevention Magazine’s 5th Annual Survey of Consumer Reaction to Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Medicines.