# Presentation: 770490

## Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs: Impact of Asking for Information about Treatment Cost

- September 12, 2002

## FDA Consumer Surveys

- Look more closely at impact of DTC advertising on doctor-patient relationship

## 2002 Survey: Methodology

- National probability sample conducted by telephone interview
- 944 respondents who had visited a doctor in the last three months for a problem of their own

## Asking About Treatment Cost:Characteristic of the Patient or the Doctor-Patient Relationship?

## Asking About Cost of Treatment

- 2002   N = 941

**How often do you discuss the cost of prescription drugs or the cost of other **
**treatments with your doctor?**

## Does Asking About Treatment Cost Vary by Prescription Drug Insurance Coverage? 

## Cost Inquiry by Prescription Drug Insurance Coverage

-    Insurance + Rx coverage	           			Insurance no Rx coverage
***X***2 (3, N = 871) = 14.08, p < .005

## Variables Not Significantly Related

- Age
- Education
- Income
- Marital status
- Internet usage
- Brand request

## Cost Inquiry by Awareness

## DTC Awareness by Cost Inquiry

-    Yes, seen DTC ad in last 3 months	                      ***X***2 (3, N = 768) = 24.69, p < .001

## DTC Awareness by Cost Inquiry (no coverage)

-    Yes, seen DTC ad in last 3 months	                      ***X***2 (3, N = 102) = 7.89, p < .05

## Cost Inquiry by Current Medication Use

## Rx Drug Use by Cost Inquiry

-    Yes, taking one or more Rx drugs	          		No, not taking one or more
***X***2 (3, N = 769) = 24.82, p < .001

**39% vs 19%**

## Cost Inquiry by Patient Characteristics

## Cost Inquiry by Gender

***     ******X***2 (3, N = 769) = 8.29, p < .05

**28% vs 38%**

## Cost Inquiry by Ethnicity

***X***2 (6, N= 767) = 12.61, p < .05

## Cost Inquiry by Information searchAsking about a new conditionAsking about treatmentExpectations

## DTC Ad Caused Information Search by Cost Inquiry

-    Yes, DTC ad caused search for more info        	    No, DTC ad did not cause search
***X***2 (3, N = 482) = 13.04, p < .01

## Asking About a New Medical Condition by Cost Inquiry

-  Yes, DTC ad caused me to ask DR about a new medical condition 	    	No
***X***2 (3, N = 630) = 18.09, p < .001

## Asking About Treatment by Cost Inquiry

-  Yes, asked about a drug to treat me at this visit	    	  No, did not ask about a drug
***X***2 (3, N = 767) = 16.37, p < .005

## Cost Inquiry by Expectations

-    Yes, expected DR to prescribe a drug at this visit           ***X***2 (3, N = 762) = 10.63, p < .05

## SummaryPatients without Rx Coverage

- Patients who ask about frequently ask about treatment cost are more aware of DTC ads than those who ask less frequently
- No difference on other variables between those patients who ask frequently about cost than those who ask less frequently

## SummaryPatients with Rx Coverage

- Patients who ask frequently about cost are more aware of DTC ads than those who ask less frequently
- More women ask about cost than men
- More African Americans tend to not ask about cost, compared to the other ethnic groups

## SummaryPatients with Rx Coverage, con’t

- Patients who ask frequently about cost are--
- more likely to search for more information in response to a DTC ad than those who ask less frequently
- more likely to ask a DR about a new medical condition than those who ask less frequently
- more likely to ask about a drug to treat them than those who ask less frequently
- more likely to go to the visit expecting to get a drug than those who ask less frequently