# Presentation: 005188

## ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OFDIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ON CONSUMERS AND PRESCRIBERS 

**Petra Schultz, PharmD**
**Coordinator, Therapeutic Policy Management**
**Mayo Clinic/St. Luke’s Hospital**
**Jacksonville, Florida**
**Research Conducted:**
**SHANDS Jacksonville Medical Center**
**University of Florida **
**Health Science Center/Jacksonville**

## DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER (DTC)ADVERTISING

**Television**
**Radio**
**Print media**

## DTC ADVERTISING

**Goals **
**Patient education**
**Promote product awareness**
**Promote product sales**
**Potential Consequence**
**Inappropriate medication use**

## DTC ADVERTISING

**1996 spending estimated at $800 million**
**1998 spending estimated at $1.35 billion**
**$905 million spent in first six months of 1999 **

## STUDY OBJECTIVES

**Determine if DTC prescription drug advertisements were reaching SHANDS Jacksonville patients**
**Determine the impact of DTC advertising on patient demand**
**Determine the impact of DTC advertising on practitioner prescribing patterns**

## Research Site: SHANDS Jacksonville Medical Center

## METHODS

**Study Design**
**Survey **
**Inclusion Criteria**
**Adults **_**>**_** 18 years old**
**Patient or prescriber in Internal Medicine or Family Medicine ambulatory clinics**

## METHODS

**Procedures**
**Patient surveys distributed at clinic visit**
**Prescriber surveys distributed at noon conference and Grand Rounds**

## PATIENT DEMOGRAPHICS: GENDER

**PATIENT DEMOGRAPHICS: GENDER**

## PATIENT DEMOGRAPHICS: AGE

**N = 65**

## PATIENT RESULTS

**Have you ever seen or heard any**
**advertisements for prescription medications?**

**N = 65**

## PATIENT RESULTS

**Did the advertisement make you want to try**
**the medication?**

**N = 50**

## PATIENT RESULTS

**Have you ever asked your doctor for a**
**prescription that you heard about through an**
**advertisement?**

**N = 50**

## PATIENT RESULTS

**Did your doctor give you a prescription?**

**N = 17**

## PATIENT RESULTS

**Was the prescription for the medication that**
**you asked for?**

**N = 11**

## PRESCRIBER DEMOGRAPHICS: SERVICE

**N = 33**

## PRESCRIBER DEMOGRAPHICS: TITLE

**N = 33**

## PRESCRIBER RESULTS

**	****Have you ever seen or heard any direct-to consumer advertisements for prescription medications?**

**N = 28**

## PRESCRIBER RESULTS

**	****Have you ever had a patient ask you for a prescription medication based on an advertisement that they saw?**

**N = 28**

## PRESCRIBER RESULTS

**	****How many patients have asked you for a prescription based on an advertisement?**

## PRESCRIBER RESULTS

**	****How often have you given a patient a prescription following a request?**

**N = 25**

## PRESCRIBER RESULTS

**	****Would you have prescribed the medication anyway without the patient’s request?**

**N = 25**

## DISCUSSION

**Majority of SHANDS Jacksonville patients exposed to DTC prescription drug advertising**
**Greater than half wanted to try a medication based on advertisement**
**Greater than one third asked for the medication**

## DISCUSSION

**Most prescribers report being asked for a prescription based on an advertisement seen by a patient**
**Majority of prescribers report giving the prescription at least some of the time**
**Patient requests prompting prescribing**

## PHARMACIST’S ROLE

**Provide objective drug information**
**Educate patients and other healthcare professionals**
**Promote appropriate and cost effective medication use**

## ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPACT OFDIRECT-TO-CONSUMER ADVERTISING OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS ON CONSUMERS AND PRESCRIBERS 

**Petra Schultz, PharmD**
**Coordinator, Therapeutic Policy Management**
**Mayo Clinic/St. Luke’s Hospital**
**Jacksonville, Florida**
**Research Conducted:**
**SHANDS Jacksonville Medical Center**
**University of Florida **
**Health Science Center/Jacksonville**