Direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs influences consumers to seek more information, according to the National Consumers League - DTC - NCL - Drug Cost Studies in Brief - Brief Article

Drug Cost Management Report, Feb, 2003

* Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising for prescription drugs influences consumers to seek more information, according to the National Consumers League (NCL). Data released from the survey showed that the advertising reaches a vast majority of American adults, enhances their curiosity of specific medical conditions and/or treatment options, and often motivates them to visit their doctors to seek information on diseases that they might otherwise keep quiet about.

According to the survey, which was conducted in October, 77% of adults surveyed said they had seen or heard advertising for prescription medications in the past 12 months, and more than half of those people (57%) were motivated by the ads to take some course of action. Al-though 42% agreed that the ads help pharmaceutical companies sell their drugs, only one in four survey respondents felt such ads should be limited to medical magazines for doctors. For complete survey results, visit www.nclnet.org. Information: Carol McKay, NCL, (202) 835-3323.