A Discussion on the Effects of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

The last three decades has seen rapid growth in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. As such, advertising of pharmaceutical drugs has become an integral strategy in pharmaceutical services and products. However, numerous health experts have raised questions as to whether DTC advertising is beneficial or detrimental to the health of the public. Accordingly, the paper will evaluate how advertising prescription drugs over Television impacts on the health of the viewers. Although DTC advertising has its drawbacks, the benefits outweigh them. As such, with the proper regulation, DTC will help improve public health.

At the beginning of the 1980s, the majority of the governments were resentful of DTC advertising.

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Therefore, prescription drugs could only be advertised in medical journals and health care publications dedicated to physicians (Frosch; Grande, 2009). However, in 1983 Food and Drugs Administration commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes requested for independent evaluation of DTC advertising following concerns from pharmaceutical industry players. In 1985, FDA gave the green light to FDA advertising (Frosch; Grande, 2009). Several factors have the force behind the growth of DTC advertising. First, structural changes in the health care market (Galled; Lyles, 2007). Secondly, increased interest by consumers to know more about prescription drugs have also facilitated in the notable growth in DTC advertising (Galled; Lyles, 2007).

Lastly, a favorable political and regulatory climate geared towards giving consumers access to health information has been a catalyst for the growth of DTC in televisions. Several public policy issues have risen after the growth of DTC advertising. First, Frosch et al. (2007) points to the issues of what kinds of prescription drugs information is helpful to consumers and how it could be best conveyed.

Secondly, experts in pharmaceuticals wonder how well equipped the physicians are to respond consumer demands for prescription drugs. Lastly, stakeholders are wondering how DTC advertising will affect total health care costs (Galled; Lyles, 2007). First, if the information being given to consumers is correct, DTC may lead to a pool of empowered consumers (Frosch; Grande, 2009).

Secondly, Frosch et al. (2007) points out that DTC helps trigger a positive response by the public to medication. Lastly, some experts believe that DTC promotes preventive care. First, misleading adverts will lead to wrong prescriptions. Consequently, the consumers may suffer life-threatening repercussions due to the use of wrongful drugs (Frosch; Grande, 2009). Lastly, DTC might foster conflict within the doctor-patient relationship particularly if the doctor feels the informed patient challenges his intellectual disposition (Frosch; Grande, 2009). DTC advertising is here to stay. Numerous consumers of prescribed drugs have the quest to know about what they are partaking. Consequently, the may approach the physicians with drugs of their choice from information gathered from television ads. Despite suffering numerous setbacks, DTC has the potential to transform health services in the world due to informed consumers. Bibliography Frosch, D. L., & Grande, D. (2009). Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. LDI issue brief, 15(3), 1-4. Frosch and Grande gives a detailed analysis of DTC advertising in televisions since 1985. In their paper, the give figures on the amount of money spent during the period.

Additionally, they touch on certain policy issues affecting concerned with DTC advertising. Lastly, the pair gives an explicit analysis of proponents and opponents to the technique point of views. As such, their paper provides a richer and wider understanding of pharmaceutical advertising over televisions in the United States and New Zealand. Frosch, D. L., Krueger, P. M., Hornik, R. C., Cronholm, P. F., & Barg, F. K. (2007). Creating Demand for Prescription Drugs: A Content Analysis of Television Direct-To-Consumer Advertising. The Annals of Family Medicine, 5(1), 6-13. Frosch and his colleagues undertook an extensive research in the field of DTC advertising in 2007. The main agenda of the research was to establish the impacts the technique had in the overall wellbeing of consumers. Consequently, their research findings provide credible information that increases the reader's understanding of DTC advertising over television networks.

Additionally, the paper gives the pros and cons of DTC advertising on prescription drugs with discrete examples that reinforce a scholar's grasp of the topic. Lastly, the report provides a detailed recommendation on policy changes that should be enacted in the United States to ensure consumers reap maximum benefits from DTC. Gellad, Z. F., & Lyles, K. W. (2007). Direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals. The American journal of medicine, 120(6), 475-480. Gellad and Lyles explicitly evaluate DTC advertising and the impact it has had on the health of United States citizens. His mastery of the field is evident from his well selected examples as well as richly-documented illustrations. Moreover, his analysis evaluates alternative policies in other developed countries like Canada that have chosen to ban DTC ads. Consequently, the article is an invaluable resource for a student wishing to learn more about DTC advertising especially over Television networks as they have a wider coverage while demanding attention.