Direct-To-Consumer Promotion of Prescription Drug Products
June 1990
in “
Health Marketing Quarterly
”
TLDR Drug companies were interested in advertising directly to consumers to make back their money, but most didn't think it would help and were concerned about negative effects.
In the 1990 article by Festervand and Tucker, the authors discussed the shift in pharmaceutical marketing towards direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, driven by competitive pressures and changes in drug patent laws. Despite ethical, legal, and financial concerns, brand name drug manufacturers were interested in DTC advertising to recoup development costs before patents expired. The FDA had a voluntary moratorium on DTC advertising, which was lifted in 1985, leading to innovative advertising strategies. The Dingell Subcommittee found minimal support for DTC promotion among pharmaceutical manufacturers, with only 16% in favor of further study and 75% believing it would not be beneficial. Arguments against DTC promotion included potential harm to the physician-patient relationship and increased drug costs, while supporters argued it could inform consumers and stimulate medical help for undiagnosed conditions. The future of DTC advertising depended on consumer demand for health care information and the pharmaceutical industry's ability to create FDA-compliant educational campaigns.
