Innumerable patients have asked Dr. McCoul about balloon sinuplasty, which they learned about through advertisements on TV or radio. “Oftentimes, however, their medical problem isn’t one that balloon sinuplasty is designed to treat,” he said. “So, these patients start their visit with an expectation that can’t be reasonably met. This typically leads to a discussion about why a balloon treatment is inappropriate, which could be time better spent in other ways (Int Forum Allergy Rhinol. July 16, 2022. doi:10.1002/ alr.23063).”
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December 2022What the Studies Show
There are many misconceptions about DTCA, including the misconception that it’s tightly regulated. One study found that 43% of those surveyed thought that only “completely safe” prescription drugs could be marketed using DTCA, 21% thought that drugs had to be “extremely effective” to be advertised, and 22% thought that DTCA of drugs with serious side effects had already been banned (J Gen Intern Med. 1999;14:651–657).
In another study, Dr. Applequist and her co-author found that broadcast DTCA placed a greater emphasis on emotional appeals over informational appeals (Ann Fam Med. 2018;16:211– 216). “Essentially, ads are selling more lifestyle and less education,” she said. “If, however, the point of these ads is to spur conversations with one’s physician, then their content should be predominantly informational. This means that DTCA should tell viewers about a drug’s effectiveness, the population it treats, its side effects, and so forth. It shouldn’t be focused on a use of vivid imagery, characters, or a catchy song.”
Information is in the ads, but it’s buried, Dr. Applequist noted. Her 2018 study showed that 57% of ads portrayed main characters seeking social approval, which is up more than 17% compared to a previous study from 2007 (Ann Fam Med. 2007;5:6–13). Dr. Applequist’s study also found that ads were 30% longer than those featured in earlier studies, with her findings revealing that the information included about drugs was significantly lessened.
A study from 2020 found that most patients didn’t see a negative effect from DTCA (J Am Board Fam Med. 2020;33:279–283). The study found that about 76% of patients were more likely to ask their physician about a drug that was directly advertised to them, one-quarter had already asked their physician about an advertised drug, and 23% of patients said they would look for another provider if their physician wouldn’t prescribe a brand name drug they asked for, said Dr. Luong.