Direct to Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising – Helpful or Harmful?

While direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) has been legalized in the United States and New Zealand, the prescribed drug marketing has long reached other places in the world including the Asian regions. Behind the successful profit-making pharmaceutical companies, concerns about public health impacts to the patient and physician counterpart have grown. Evidences illustrated that DTCA increases the volume of prescribing amount through patient demand and that the traditional manner of drug prescribing action has changed. However, the quality of health care trade in the relationship between physician and patient often overlooked and compromised. The systematic review analysed eight studies from five identified search engines using PRISMA guidelines. This review findings demonstrate DTCA implication in term of the health literacy, economic impact and relationship between physician and patient. Physician expressed substantial degree of dissatisfying behaviour when challenged with unnecessary need to prescribe drugs demand by patient. The prominent involvement of policymakers in regulating the guideline and controlling delivery of information in any advertisement related to drugs is direly important.

Download Full-text

The introduction of the medicinal partner in direct-to-consumer advertising: Viagra’s contribution to pharmaceutical fetishism and patient-as-consumer discourse in healthcare

Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare ◽

10.4081/qrmh.2018.7646 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Janelle Applequist

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Erectile Dysfunction ◽

Pharmaceutical Industry ◽

The United States ◽

Social Meaning ◽

Pharmaceutical Advertising ◽

Direct To Consumer ◽

Look Back ◽

Market Transaction ◽

Direct To Consumer Advertising

Pfizer, manufacturer of the erectile dysfunction prescription treatment Viagra, has been a staple in the pharmaceutical advertising arena since broadcast versions of such ads became legally permissible in the United States in 1997. Given that the patent for Viagra is soon set to expire, it is important that research take a look back in an attempt to contextualize the brand’s place in shaping medicinal marketing culture. Of particular interest is the period beginning in 2014, when Viagra’s most unconventional campaign yet began using a tactic that was the first of its kind for the pharmaceutical industry. By removing the actual consumer of the medication from these ads (males), Viagra has paved the way for pharmaceutical advertising to target the medicinal partner. This manuscript reviews the first use of the medicinal partner in the pharmaceutical advertising sector, conducting a textual analysis of Viagra’s use of this mediated relationship. The medicinal partner is the pharmaceutical industry’s attempt to target a patient’s social circle in an effort to promote a discourse that suggests a medicinal remedy for a problem. This analysis describes how social meaning and relationships underlie the market transaction of obtaining a prescription, as has been previously established through the processes of medicalization and pharmaceutical fetishism. These advertisements create belief in the larger sense, meaning Pfizer is infiltrating upon the patient’s process of choice and consumption of medicinal remedies. Viagra is simultaneously encouraging male consumers to celebrate the brand while using female ambassadors to influence the decision to request medicinal intervention.

Download Full-text

Consumer Advertising of Psychiatric Medications Biases the Public Against Nonpharmacological Treatment

Ethical Human Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1891/1559-4343.7.3.175 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. 175-179 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jeffrey R. Lacasse

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

The United States ◽

Pharmaceutical Companies ◽

Nonpharmacological Treatment ◽

The Public ◽

Direct To Consumer ◽

Treatment Of Depression ◽

Direct To Consumer Advertising

In the United States, aWntidepressant medications are heavily promoted through direct-to-consumer advertising, which is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Advertisements for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors frequently contain information inconsistent with the scientific evidence on the treatment of depression with antidepressants. The information presented serves to promote the use of antidepressants by biasing the public against nonpharmacological treatment of depression. While the FDA enforces regulations requiring fair and balanced presentation when comparing one medication to another, there appears to be no action taken against pharmaceutical companies that distort scientific evidence in order to disparage nonmedical approaches to depression.

Download Full-text

The relationship between melatonin and sleep quality and its weight loss benefits

International Journal of Nutrology ◽

10.54448/ijn2137 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Alexandre Carli Pinto ◽

Danilo Everton Cunha Cavalcante ◽

Etianne Andrade Araújo ◽

Francione Moreira Cabral ◽

Jhonatas Mota Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Weight Control ◽

The United States ◽

The Body ◽

Sleep Cycle ◽

Pharmaceutical Companies ◽

The Relationship ◽

Published Research ◽

Night Period

Melatonin is an endogenous substance easily found in the body. It is conceptualized as a hormone, derived from serotonin, synthesized by the pineal gland during the night period. As a hormone, melatonin has several functions, such as immunomodulation, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor, however its most compliant function is the control of the circadian rhythm, in addition to regularizing seasonality. Sleep is one of the primordial needs of the human being, after a period of physical and mental activities, it has a fundamental role to relax and re-establish the organism for a new cycle of activities. Thus, melatonin acts as a metabolism regulator influencing the quality of life, and its effectiveness in inducing sleep has led pharmaceutical companies to launch its synthetic version, widely sold as a supplement in some countries such as the United States and Europe. To analyze the importance of melatonin in the regulation of sleep, as well as to characterize its functions in the body that contribute to weight control. The work methodology consisted of a literature review, carried out through previously published research studies. Based on the literary subsidies that supported this research, it is concluded that the benefits achieved with the use of melatonin encompass the alignment of the sleep cycle and contribute to weight control, which may influence weight loss, as well as in other areas of the body.

Download Full-text

Look, Puppies! A Visual Content Analysis of Required Risk Statements Embedded in Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising

Journal of Public Policy & Marketing ◽

10.1177/0743915619889052 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 45-61

Author(s):

Jesse King ◽

Leslie Koppenhafer ◽

Robert Madrigal

Keyword(s):

Content Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Risk Information ◽

Pharmaceutical Advertising ◽

Visual Content ◽

Policy Makers ◽

Direct To Consumer ◽

Direct To Consumer Advertising ◽

Source Of Information ◽

Risk Statement

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) on television is a prominent source of information about medical conditions and their potential treatments. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that DTCA include a major statement presenting the medication’s most important risk information in a fair and balanced manner. However, there is growing concern about the visual content that accompanies this risk information within DTCA major statements. Specifically, the FDA has failed to provide guidance on how to measure DTCA’s adherence to the fair and balanced provision. This research introduces eight metrics organized into three categories to perform a visual content analysis of 230 existing DTCAs. Using these metrics, the authors test for differences in visual content between the major risk statement and the remaining portions of an ad. Our results indicate that the major risk statements of DTCAs feature more positive imagery, visually complex imagery, and motion than other portions of the ads. The authors discuss the implications of these findings for public policy makers, consumers, and marketers.

Download Full-text

Last Place of Care and End-of-Life Quality of Life in the United States: Evidence From a National Representative Data Set

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.056 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 17-17

Author(s):

Yifan Lou ◽

Nan Jiang ◽

Katherine Ornstein

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Older Adults ◽

End Of Life ◽

End Of Life Care ◽

The United States ◽

Life Care ◽

Person Centered Care ◽

Centered Care ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background: Quality of life (QoL) during last stage of life has raised expanded interests as an important aspect of person-centered care. Last place of care (LPC), refer to the last place decedents received their formal end-of-life care (EOLC), has been identified as a key indicator of older adults’ end-of-life QoL, but the relationship was understudied. This study explores the association between LPC and end-of-life QoL among American older adults. Methods: Data used seven waves of Last Month of Life data with a total sample of 3068 Medicare decedents in NHATS. Outcome is end-of-life QoL assessed by eleven measures on four domains: pain and symptoms management (SP), quality of healthcare encounter (HE), person-centered care (PC), and overall quality of care (QC). LPC was categorized into home, hospital, nursing home, and residential hospice. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship with covariates. Results: LPC varied by most demographic characteristics, except immigration status and education. Older adults whose LPC is hospital, compared to those who had home-care, were less likely to have great experiences on HE, PC, and QC. People dying at nursing homes are more likely to receive care meeting their dyspnea and spiritual needs. Residential hospice is negatively related to respected care, clear coordination, and keeping family informed, but are more likely to provide PS and spiritual care. Discussion: Home-based end-of-life care has certain advantages but still has room to improve on SP and religious concerns. Hospitals should keep reforming their service delivery structure to improve patients’ QoL.

Download Full-text

Controversial advertising of medicines. A comparison between Poland and the United States

Annales Etyka w życiu gospodarczym ◽

10.18778/1899-2226.21.5.06 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 67-79

Author(s):

Marta Makowska

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Prescription Drugs ◽

The United States ◽

The European Union ◽

Negative Consequences ◽

Direct To Consumer ◽

Law And Ethics ◽

The Us ◽

The Law ◽

Direct To Consumer Advertising

For many years, the subject of aggressive marketing campaigns conducted by pharmaceutical companies has been raised in Poland. Drug ads are everywhere, on television, the radio, magazines and on the Internet. Therefore, it is extremely important is to ensure both their legal and ethical dimension. This article will present the differences between direct-to-consumer advertising of medicines in Poland and in the US. The dissimilarities result mainly from differences in legislation. In Poland, the law is much stricter than in the US. For example, in the United States companies are allowed to advertise prescription drugs directly to patients. In the whole of the European Union, and thus in Poland, it is strictly prohibited. The article will also present other regulations existing in Poland and in the United States and it will compare them. It will offer examples of violations of the law and ethics in the advertising of medicine in both countries. Lastly, it will briefly outline the negative consequences of unacceptable pharmaceutical marketing.

Download Full-text

COGNITIVE HABITS LINKED TO RESILIENCE: SURPRISING COMMONALITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES

10.38207/jcmphr20202 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

United States ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Regional Differences ◽

The United States ◽

Postal Code ◽

Improvement Plan ◽

The Relationship ◽

The Way

Abstract Background: Research has documented many geographic inequities in health. Research has also documented that the way one thinks about health and quality of life (QOL) affects one’s experience of health, treatment, and one’s ability to cope with health problems. Purpose: We examined United-States (US) regional differences in QOL appraisal (i.e., the way one thinks about health and QOL), and whether resilience-appraisal relationships varied by region. Methods: Secondary analysis of 3,955 chronic-disease patients and caregivers assessed QOL appraisal via the QOL Appraisal Profile-v2 and resilience via the Centers for Disease Control Healthy Days Core Module. Covariates included individual-level and aggregate-level socioeconomic status (SES) characteristics. Zone improvement plan (ZIP) code was linked to publicly available indicators of income inequality, poverty, wealth, population density, and rurality. Multivariate and hierarchical residual modeling tested study hypotheses that there are regional differences in QOL appraisal and in the relationship between resilience and appraisal. Results: After sociodemographic adjustment, QOL appraisal patterns and the appraisal-resilience connection were virtually the same across regions. For resilience, sociodemographic variables explained 26 % of the variance; appraisal processes, an additional 17 %; and region and its interaction terms, just an additional 0.1 %. Conclusion: The study findings underscore a geographic universality across the contiguous US in how people think about QOL, and in the relationship between appraisal and resilience. Despite the recent prominence of divisive rhetoric suggesting vast regional differences in values, priorities, and experiences, our findings support the commonality of ways of thinking and responding to life challenges. These findings support the wide applicability of cognitive-based interventions to boost resilience. Keywords: appraisal; resilience; cognitive; quality of life; societal; geographic Abbreviations: MANOVA = Multivariate Analysis of Variance; PCA = principal components analysis; QOL = quality of life; SES = socioeconomic status; US = United States; ZIP = Zone Improvement Plan (postal code)

Download Full-text