Prescription medication advertising: professional discomfort and potential patient benefits - can the two be balanced?

Kerry Chamberlain and Lyn Eagle

This paper reviews current controversies surrounding direct-to-consumer (DTC) promotion of prescription drugs in an attempt to address the empirical information void and to provide a framework for sound policy deliberations by policy-makers.

Prescription medication advertising: professional discomfortand potential patient benefits - can the two be balanced?

Lynne Eagle and Kerry Chamberlain Massey University at Albany, Auckland, New Zealand

INTRODUCTION

DTC prescription drug promotion involves the promotion of brandspecific prescription drugs through mass media, including television, radio, newspaper and consumer magazines and through personalised communication (such as direct mail) with individual patients who are prescribed specific medications by their doctor, and, increasingly, through both advertising and 'editorial' content of internet sites.[1]

While currently only the USA and New Zealand...

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