DTCA

A typical commercial break on network television today may consist of a automobile ad, a jingle for a fast food restaurant, an insurance promo, and a prescription drug advertisement.  The purpose in these ads is as transparent as can be—to get the television viewer, or consumer, to purchase these goods or services.  But there is a striking difference in these four ads.  After all, if an individual has the money he could go out and buy that new automobile, and if he was extremely hungry he could purchase a greasy hamburger, and if he was unhappy with his insurance company he could call and change.  But if he wanted to buy a prescription for the drug he saw on the television he could not simply go to the pharmacy and buy it.  He would have to first see a doctor. 

All four potential ads are examples of direct to consumer advertising or DTCA.  DTCA is advertising that is created for, and disseminated to potential consumers.  For most products, DTCA is the dominant if not the only form of advertising.  But for prescription drugs a focus on DTCA is a relatively new phenomena.  Before the 1980's the drug companies focused most of their advertising budgets on physicians and medical journals, believing that the individuals who filled the prescriptions were the ones in need of convincing.  Throughout the 1990’s, however, the drug companies came to a startling conclusion—direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs is an extremely successful form of advertising. 

DTCA of prescription drugs is designed to encourage consumers to discuss advertised drugs with their physicians.  Proponents believe that the information in these ads increases medical awareness and health consciousness.  And this may be true, but anyone who has seen a drug advertisement on  television knows that the primary purpose of such ads is to increase sales, not inform consumers of health issues.  The benefits of most drugs are presented in visually stimulating messages, while the side effects and precautions are listed quickly, and usually in a monotone voice.

The informational content in DTC ads must be examined, and a policy that guarantees an informational benefit to consumers must be implemented. Next