Muse for impotence is in. And the trend may be just beginning, as prescription drugs are being marketed to the public in earnest for the first time. The data available on the success of DTC is private, said Susan Dietrich, a spokesperson with IMS America, a research group that tracks the industry. Pharmaceutical companies have dabbled with DTC advertising since the early 1980s, but restrictions on the ads content limited their effectiveness. Drugs like Allegra, an antihistamine, began to pop up in prime time television commercial spots once occupied by car commercials.
Drug makers say DTC campaigns educate consumers.
Our ads are targeted to stimulate the consumer to talk to his physician about the disease and the treatment of the disease. They are not targeted to go in and ask for x product that we make. Of course we are hoping for a benefit as a result of doing the ads. The fact that drug companies are motivated by profits concerns some consumer groups, who call for stricter regulation of DTC advertising. Currently, the FDA requires all television ads to refer consumers to three alternative sources of information a toll-free phone number, an Internet address, and print material.