# Presentation: 893387

## Consumer Reaction to DTC Advertisingof Prescription Medicines 1997 to 2002

- A Six-Year Tracking Study
- From
- Prevention and Men’s Health Magazines

## Research Funded Solely by:

- Prevention Magazine
- Nation’s #1 Consumer-Health Magazine
- 3.3 Million Subscribers
- 10.4 Million Total Readership
- Men’s Health Magazine
- Nation’s #1 Health Magazine for Men
- 1.7 Million Subscribers
- 9.3 Million Total Readership

## Methodology 1997-2002

| Year | Method | InterviewingPeriod | Sample | Over-sample | Margin of Error |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1997 | NationalTelephone Survey | March 22 to April 2, 1997 | 1,202 Adults Age 18+ | None | +/- 3 pts. |
| 1998 | Same | March 28 toApril 20, 1998 | 1,200 Adults Age 18+ | Adults age 50+ | +/- 3 pts. |
| 1999 | Same | March 30 to April 26, 1999 | 1,200 Adults Age 18+ | Adults age 50+ | +/- 3 pts. |
| 2000 | Same | June 12 to June 28, 2000 | 1,222 AdultsAge 18+ | Hispanics | +/- 3 pts. |
| 2001 | Same | Sept. 19 to Oct. 7, 2001 | 1,601 AdultsAge 18+ | Men | +/- 3 pts. |
| 2002 | Same | Dec. 6 toDec. 22, 2002 | 1,350 AdultsAge 18+ | Men | +/- 3 pts. |

## Address the Following FDA Questions:

- How does DTC affect patient behavior, and how might it affect public health?
- Does DTC oversimplify the safety and effectiveness of Rx medicines, and does it affect consumer use of prescription drugs?
- How do consumers assess the safety and benefits information contained in DTC advertisements?

## Address the Following FDA Questions:

- Does the brief summary effectively communicate to consumers? Is it informative? Are major statements in broadcast ads effective and informative for consumers?
- Are consumers making use of secondary sources in broadcast advertisements?
- Are consumers using the Internet as a source of information about prescription drugs. How and why do they search the web, and is online information useful?

## Trend in Awareness of DTC Advertising

- % Aware of ads for specific medicines they “can only get with a doctor’s prescription”

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Trend in Aided (Net) Awarenessof DTC Advertisements

- % Aware of ads for any one of the 10-14 Rx medicines included in each survey from 1998 to 2002

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Public Opinion Regarding DTC Advertising

- Encourages people to find out more about advertised Rx

- Tells people about new treatments

- Encourages people to find out more about the condition Rx treats

- Alerts people to symptoms related to a condition they may have

**85%**

**84%**

**83%**

**80%**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Public Opinion Regarding DTC Advertising

- Allows people to be more involved with their healthcare

- Is done responsibly

- Scares people into thinking they have conditions they don’t

- Causes tension between patients and their doctors

**78%**

**64%**

**61%**

**36%**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Rating The Job DTC Does Providing Risk and Benefit Information(Base: Consumers who have seen a DTC advertisement)

- Benefits of taking the product

- Serious product warnings

- Annoying but not serious side effects

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2001Study**

## Providing Information Consumers Need: Magazine & TV Advertisements(Base: Consumers who have seen a DTC advertisement) 

**Risk Information**

**Benefit Information**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Consumer Use of Sources Mentioned in Broadcast Ads(Base: Consumers who have seen a DTC Advertisement)

**Net Use: 19% or****37.2 million consumers**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Information Sought From SourcesMentioned In Broadcast Advertisements(Base: Consumers who have used sources mentioned in broadcast ads)

- Rx I had never used before

- Rx for someone else

- Rx I had just started Taking

- Rx I have been taking for awhile

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## The Brief Summary Page(Base: Consumers who recall seeing DTC ads in print)

- 54% aware/recall seeing brief summary
- 12% read thoroughly
- 12% look for key information
- 15% Skim
- 10% Don’t read at all
- 46% not aware/don’t recall brief summary

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 1999 Study**

## Frequency of Checking Information in Brief Summary(Base: Consumers who read brief summary page in print ads)

- Warnings about side effects, e.g. nausea, drowsiness, or interactions with other drugs

- Precautions against taking the medicine under particular conditions, e.g. during pregnancy or after alcohol

- Warnings for people with particular conditions, e.g. high blood pressure or asthma

**83%**

**79%**

**76%**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 1999 Study**

## Trend in “Talking” to The DoctorAs a Result of DTC Advertising(Base: Consumers aware of ads for Rx medicines)

**33% = 64.7 Million Consumers**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Number of Times Consumers “Talked” to Their Doctors About Advertised Medicines(Base: Consumers who have talked to doctor about an advertised Rx)

**20 million people have talked to their doctor 3+ times**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Trend in “Asking” DoctorTo Prescribe Advertised Medicines(Base: Consumers who spoke to doctor about advertised Rx)

**30% = 19.4 Million Consumers**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Trend in Getting the AdvertisedRx Medicine as Requested(Base: Consumers who asked doctor for advertised Rx medicine)

**79% = 15.3 Million Consumers**

- % Who received _requested_ advertised Rx medicine after asking for it from their doctor

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Doctor Recommended a Non-DrugTherapy When Asked About DTC Rx(Based on consumers who asked doctor “about” an advertised medicine)

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Trend in Talking to The Doctor For The First Time About Conditions as a Result of DTC Ads(Base: Consumers who have seen a DTC advertisement)

**15% = 29.4 Million Consumers**

- % Who talked with doctor about condition for first time

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Trend in “Asking” Doctor to Prescribe Medicine That Treats Condition Discussed for First Time(Based: Consumers who spoke to doctor about condition for first time)

**17% = 5 Million Consumers**

- % Who “asked” doctor to prescribe advertised Rx

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Trend in Getting Advertised Rx to Treat Condition Discussed for First Time(Base: Consumers who spoke to doctor about condition for first time)

**80% = 4 Million Consumers**

- % Who received _requested_ advertised Rx medicine after asking for it from their doctor

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Trend in Self-Reported Rx Drug Use1997-2002

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Willingness of Doctors to TalkAbout Advertised Rx Medicines(Base: Consumers who spoke to doctor about advertised Rx)

- % of consumers saying their doctor was “very” willing to talk to them about advertised Rx medicines

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Impact of Talking About an Advertised Rx on Patient-Doctor Relationship(Base: Consumers who spoke to doctor about advertised Rx)

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2001 Study**

## Disagree With Doctor’s Decision“Not” to Give Advertised Rx Medicine

**Consumers who asked “for” an Rx **_**and**_** where turned down by their doctors****(n=30)**

**Any consumer who saw a DTC advertisement**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2001 Study**

## Going to “Another” Doctorfor Advertised Rx Medicines

**Any consumer who saw a DTC advertisement**

**Consumers who “disagree” with Doctor’s decision not to give advertised Rx**
**(n=11)**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2001 Study**

## Going Online

**Income**

**Generation**

- 110 million people!

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Looking Online for Information About Rx Medicines(Base: Consumers who go online)

**32 Million**

**42.9 Million**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Main Reason for Looking Online for Rx Information(Base: Consumers who have gone online for Rx information)

- Information about an Rx for someone else

- Learn more about an Rx for me

- Recently prescribed medicine

- Experienced side effects

- Other reasons

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Finding Rx Information Looked For Online(Base: Consumers who look for Rx information online)

**96% Find desired Rx information**

**4% Didn’t find desired Rx information**

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines: 2002 Study**

## Trend in Perceived Usefulness of Online Information About Rx Drugs(Base: Consumers who have gone online for Rx Information)

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**

## Summary

- Consumers have positive opinions of DTC
- Informs about new treatments
- Alerts people to symptoms
- There is room for improvement – e.g. providing needed risk/benefit information, and low use of brief summary
- One-third of consumers talk to doctor about advertised medicines – unchanged since 1997
- DTC has encouraged about 29 million to talk to doctor about condition for first time
- Consumers do not “demand” advertised medicines
- Rx use shows no significant change since 1997, start of broadcast advertising
- DTC does not negatively affect patient-doctor relationship

**Prevention & Men’s Health Magazines**