UK Physicians Attitudes Towards Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs: an Exploratory Analysis
Jon D. Reast and Anna M. Carson Leeds University Business School
INTRODUCTION
In a market worth $99.5 billion in 1998 (IMS Health, Inc, 1998), and growing at 11 per cent, a recent change to US legislation has given pharmaceutical brand owners the goahead to advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers in broadcast, print and electronic media (http://www.fda.gov, 1999). Within the $10.2 billion UK market (IMS Health, Inc, 1998), the legal framework only allows brand owners to operate a push promotional strategy, advertising to...