Increased Prescriptions of Oral Minoxidil After a High-Profile Newspaper Article About Its Benefits for Hair Loss

September 2023 in “ Dermatology Online Journal ”

Paradi Mirmirani, Peter A. Young, Stefan G. Vanderweil, Veena Vanchinathan, James W. Click, Patrick E. McCleskey

oral minoxidil hair loss treatment low dose oral minoxidil LDOM Rogaine

TLDR A newspaper article caused a big rise in oral minoxidil prescriptions for hair loss.

The document discusses the impact of a high-profile newspaper article on the prescription rates of oral minoxidil, a drug used for hair loss treatment. The New York Times article, published in August 2022, highlighted the potential benefits of low dose oral minoxidil (LDOM) for hair loss, leading to a significant increase in patient requests for the drug. Data from 94 outpatient pharmacies in Northern California showed that the monthly prescriptions of oral minoxidil increased significantly after the article's publication, with the 4-month average for new prescriptions multiplying over 7-fold (from 49 to 352). This increase coincided with a peak in related internet searches. The study concludes that the newspaper article had a greater influence on consumer demand and prescribing behaviors than scholarly articles about the treatment.

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