Direct-to-Consumer Advertising Essay

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advert of ethical drug medicates has become common location in todays society. Every household with a telecasting is aw ar of DTC advertizement as they interrupt their nightly programs. Every issue magazine or local newspaper offers de none on the a la mode(p) medicate remedy for what ails us. This multi-media approach is relatively new for pharmaceutical companies as previously such efforts were directed only at physicians who were the sole residuum makers when choosing medications. With the 1997 change in the forage and drug Administrations (FDA) guidelines on with longanimouss desires to be more involved in their own cargon and intercession, drug companies concur expanded their promotional efforts to include the consumer. This essay pass on numerate at some of the up-to-the-minute regulations concerning DTC advertisement, pros and cons of these ads, and the ethical issues that arise from DTC advertising.RegulationsDirect-to-consume r (DTC) advertising is the promotion of prescription medicine drugs through newspaper, magazine, picture receiver and internet marketing. (Direct-to-consumer advertising, 2010) These ads atomic number 18 directed towards the end user, the consumer, and non the prescriber/physician. Prescription drug advertising has been regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) since 1962. Their Division of Drug Marketing, Advertising, and Communications (DDMAC) is responsible for ensuring that companies that right off advertise to the ordinary argon providing teaching that is fair playful, balanced, and accurately described. (FDA, 2010) Even though the FDA has watchfulness on DTC advertising, it should not impose unnecessary restrictions on them as they fall under the category of commercial speech protected by the first amendment (Evans &type A Friede, 2003, p. 387). The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act requires that anyone who makes, packages, or sells prescription drug s for humans must disclose data in their advertisements approximately the products uses and perils (U.S. Department of HHS, 1999, p. 3).This study disclosure is called the brief sum-up. Contrary to its name, the brief summary is rather lengthy as it must contain every risk associated with the drugs approved use. Prior to regulatory changes made in 1997, these disclosures had to be included in every advertisement making television commercials impractical due to the restricted amount of time available. Now in that location is a distinction between print and broadcast advertising so that only print ads must contain this brief summary. The DDMACs 1997 revisions flat only require audio and/or visual ads to disclose devil things. The drugs major risks in consumer-friendly language, the major statement, and give adequate provision for the consumer to coming the full product labeling (U.S. Department of HHS, 1999, p. 5). This lowlife be achieved by providing a toll free number to call, referencing the full advertisement in a print ad, or making sure brochures are easily friendly outside of a physicians office, like a drugstore or grocery store. By decreasing the amount of information unavoidable in these ads, commercials suddenly became a viable form of marketing.Advertisements seen on television or in magazines are not essential to be submitted to the FDA for praise prior to their release however, companies must submit their ads to the FDA when they first appear in public. The FDA is available to offer their advice to pharmaceutical companies when asked for help (FDA, 2010). one time they see the ad and if they palpate that it violates the law, they will send a warning letter requesting that the bon ton stop the ad immediately. These letters are posted on their electronic network site for public inspection. The drawback to this process is that an ad that violates the law whitethorn be aired without oversight. If the warning letters do not rectify t he situation, the FDA stick out work with the Department of Justice to seek injunctions against companies, or criminally go after firms. (Vogt, 2005, p. 26) The FDA also has the authority to seize drugs that it deems as misbranded and can flush reverse approval for the drug.ProsThere are numerous arguments on the benefits of direct-to-consumer advertising. Supporters of DTC advertising contend that ads can be educational, provide significant health information, and hark back sales to further necessary research and development (R&D). wholeness of the most commonly heard reasons is that DTC advertising has assisted consumers in identify(ing) complaint conditions and engage(ing) in more inform talks with their health care providers. (Pfizer, 2011) Supporters uphold that this advertising helps the doctor/patient relationship by being a conversation starter allowing discussions on disorders and options that a patient whitethorn not gather in known how to talk about earlier. Most patients today are enlightened and desire a greater level of involvement in their health care choices. DTC advertising gives the consumer power through knowledge. Important health information can be delivered in DTC advertising. These ads encounter the ability to reach millions of consumers relatively easily. by dint of print and media advertising, pharmaceutical companies can play a useful utilisation in raising awareness of certain conditions and disorders. Raising the publics awareness can promote consumers to seek medical exam attention when they differently whitethorn not have. Seeing these conditions on television or in a magazine can lessen the stigma associated with them. Large pharmaceutical companies use the money made from DTC advertising to fund their R&D. This research and development plays an integral part in ensuring a drugs galosh which in turn saves generic wine companies from pick outing to repeat R&D on the same drug. This makes generic manufac turers an new(prenominal) supporter of DTC ads. By advertising new, name brand drugs, companies are causing a demand for the medication. Once the drug has lost its patent, physicians can begin prescribing the less expensive generic alternative. The generic manufacturer has benefited by default on the large pharmas campaign.ConsThere are an equal number of allegations on the oppose effect of direct-to-consumer advertising. Opponents of DTC ads ask that ads can be detrimental to the physician/patient relationship, increase medication costs, and harm public health. Those against DTC ads feel that they have the voltage to change the way doctors and patients interact with each other. A patient whitethorn see a particular advertisement and be convinced that they have a certain condition or that they need a particular proposition drug. The patient may then present to their doctor feeling that they have diagnosed themselves and request prescriptions even if not needed. The physician may then feel pressured to oblige the patient rather than discussing other, possibly cheaper or drug free, treatment options. This scenario can lead to over-prescribing and over-use of a particular drug based on the effectiveness of the advertisement. Others have argued that advertising is expensive and the pharmaceutical companies have to infer their cost somewhere.This leads to the cost being passed on to the consumer in the form of high prescription costs. The amount of money spent on DTC ads has increase dramatically from 1997 to 2005 from $1.1 billion to $4.2 billion (GAO, 2006, p. 12). This increase expenditure could create higher healthcare costs across the board. Another cost of DTC advertising could be at the expense of public health. Most consumers lack the specialized knowledge required to evaluate the content of these ads and thusly take them at face value. They may not be fully aware of the harmful side set up or interactions of the drug. DTC ads can be seen as misleadin g since they are not required to mention other alternatives like diet, exercise or other preventative measures. These alternatives could treat the advertised condition without medication. By not including the alternatives, companies are advocating drug use as a primary response to medical conditions. good IssuesPharmaceutical companies have a substantial obligation to run into that their direct-to-consumer advertising is ethical. Their products not only have the ability to help consumers tho they may also cause potential harm. Advertising of a drug is not like advertising of any other product where you are exhausting to convince the consumer to buy something they dont need. Drug advertising needs to educate the consumer while muted promoting their product. Persuasion tactics thence should be ethical. How does one go about knowing if DTC advertising methods are ethical? In the book Persuasion Theory and Practice, ethical panorama is defined as a communication activity that per mits maximum one-on-one choice (Anderson, 1978, p. 3). The key is that the consumer must be able to make a voluntary choice without feeling coerced. DTC ads should not rely on deceptive or manipulative tactics. As previously stated, the consumer can be viewed as a vulnerable audience if they are being spoken to at a level that is beyond their ability to understand (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 166).Ethical marketing requires that these audiences not be unfairly targeted because of this vulnerability. DTC advertising ethics is concerned with what drug companies ought or ought not to do. Lying is morally wrong and in that respectfore considered unethical. Using lies or false impressions in a DTC ad distorts the information a consumer receives and can alter the choices they may make (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 160). thus DTC ads should not create false impressions or omit pertinent information just for the sake of the ad. The point of DTC advertising should not be change ma gnitude sales but be more of a means to an important social end which should be consumer education.An example of an ethical advertisement would be one that utilizes those messages that demonstrate respect for the consumer to whom they are directed. Respecting the consumer means that their needs are placed before the needs of the advertiser. Currently, the DDMAC does not regulate the ethicalness of pharmaceutical advertising. Their commission statement is, To protect the public health by assuring prescription drug information is truthful, balanced and accurately communicated. (FDA, 2010) Ethical ads tell the truth about their product and do not try to distort its capabilities or hide its defects. (Vaux) Unfortunately an ad can be truthful and still be considered unethical. Ads that play to base human emotions such as timidity can be considered unethical as they are just trying to promote emotions that would cause the consumer to seek relief through the advertisers product.Conclusio nDirect-to-consumer advertising has been integrated into our culture and is likely not issue to go away. Just as there are those who lobby against these ads, there are an equal number of proponents who support them. Regulations have been changed to allow the development of these ads to their current place in our society. As such, the DDMAC is constantly monitoring DTC ads and will need to be the ones to set ethical boundaries and ensure theyre being adhered to. Consumers must evaluate pharmaceutical ads critically so as not to be persuaded as much as they are educated. Although proponents of DTC advertising argue they provide important consumer information, too frequently the ads can operate dysfunctionally by providing misinformation and inducing the consumer to make purchases that are not in either their oblivious or long term interest. (Baker & Martinson, 2001, p. 151) Ethical DTC ads should serve an educational purpose first and a promotional purpose second.They should off er consumers information on alternatives along with true representations of the risks their medications may have. Unethical ads are those that may try to point out your flaws, i.e. depression, and then tell you they have the answer, i.e. Prozac. These unethical ads will use your emotions to cause you to believe you are in need of a fix when in reality you may not be. I believe there is a place for direct-to-consumer advertising. Consumers are constantly looking at for more and more information to help them make better informed decisions.DTC ads, when done appropriately, can be used to provide this information not only about medications but health conditions as well. Decreasing public stigma around certain health issues is another advantage advertising can bring especially if it opens doors for patients to have difficult discussions with their doctors. That being said, I believe that a balance lies with the FDA needing to take a more proactive role in how they manage DTC ads. I thin k that all ads should be required to go through a pre-approval process rather than the current release and retract method. It is hard to take back something that has already been seen and that may cause damage to the consumer.ReferencesDirect-to-consumer advertising. (2010, June 11). Retrieved March 4, 2012, from Sourcewatch http//www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Direct-to-consumer_advertising Anderson, K. E. (1978). Persuasion Theory and practice. capital of stackachusetts Allyn & Bacon. Baker, S., & Martinson, D. L. (2001). The TARES test Five principles of ethical persuasion. Journal of Mass Media Ethics, 16(2), 148-175. Evans, G. W., & Friede, A. I. (2003). The Food and Drug Administrations regulation of prescription drug manufacturer speech A first admendment analysis. Food and Drug Law Journal, 58(3), 365-437. FDA. (2010, April 4). Drugs. Retrieved March 4, 2012, from FDA http//www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/PrescriptionDrugAdvertising/ucm071964.htm G AO. (2006). Prescription drugs Improvements needed in FDAs oversight of direct-to-consumer advertising. Pfizer. (2011). Ethical Sales and Marketing. Retrieved March 5, 2012, from Pfizer http//www.pfizer.com/investors/financial_reports/annual_reports/2010/ethics-sales.jsp U.S. Department of HHS. (1999). Guidance for Industry Consumer-Directed parcel out Advertisements. Food and Drug Administration. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Vaux, R. (n.d.). What is the