FROM SICK ROLE TO CONSUMER ROLE:

A SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON PRESCRIPTION DRUG

ADVERTISEMENTS IN POPULAR MAGAZINES, 1992-2002

TIM CURRY, PhD

Sociologist

Primary Care Research Institute

The Ohio State University

JEFF JAROSCH, MA

Ohio Department of Health

“…the principal effect of direct-to-consumer marketing is to create consumer demands, changing the physician-patient relationship to a physician-consumer relationship. The consequences of this change are open for debate but the impact is noticeable.”

Source: Hollon, JAMA, 1999.

Research Questions

• Is the amount of health-related information in magazines increasing due to direct-to-consumer advertising?

• What does the future hold for the physician – patient relationship given direct-to-consumer ads?

Why Study Magazines?

• People act on what they see in magazines

• Magazines serve not only as sources of information, but also of role-identity

• We can track information in magazines more efficiently than information presented on television

Millions of Dollars Spent to Promote Prescription Drugs in Academic Journals and Direct-to-

Consumer Advertising

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Year

Mill

ion

s o

f D

olla

rs

Spending on Academic Journals

Spending on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising

Number of Prescription-Drug Advertisements and Other Health-Related Advertisements in Magazines, 1992-2002

88

129

13

125

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

1992 2002

Year

Nu

mb

er Prescription Drug

Ads

Other Health-RelatedAds

Talking with a Doctor about an Advertised Medicine

As a result of seeing any ad for a prescription medicine, have you ever talked with a doctor about

the specific medicine you saw advertised?

30%

69%

1%

Yes

No

No Response

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Understanding the Effects of Direct-to-Consumer

Prescription Drug Advertising, November 2001 (conducted August-September 2001).

What did your doctor do?

44%

35%

25%

19%

15%

14%

Among the 30% who talked to their doctor about any medicine they saw advertised…Did your doctor…

Give you the prescription drug you asked about

Recommend you make changes in behavior/lifestyle

Recommend a different prescription drug

Recommend no drug

Recommend an over-the-counter drug

Do something else

Note: multiple responses acceptedSource: Kaiser Family Foundation Understanding the Effects of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertising, November 2001 (conducted Aug.-Sept. 2001).

Money 2002; Prevention 2002; Country Living 2002

Prescription Drug

Magazine

2002  

Lipitor Bon Appetit

Lipitor Country Living

Lipitor Money

Lipitor Prevention

Prevention 2002

Prescription Drug Magazine

2002  

Viagra Ebony

Viagra Field & Stream

Viagra Golf Magazine

Viagra Newsweek

Viagra Popular Science

Viagra Popular Science

Viagra Prevention

Viagra Road & Track

“For conditions such as depression and high cholesterol, which are believed to be under treated in the population, increases in prescription drug advertisement may have substantial benefits.”

Source: Meredith B. RosenthalHarvard School of Public Health

“Large pharmaceutical companies produce ads that now directly target patients. There will be pressure on physicians by consumers to have a certain test done. I predict high use of genetic services. We’re looking at hundreds of thousands of people potentially interested in tests for breast cancer and colon cancer.”  Source: James AllenAmerican Medical Association

“There are also reasons to question, however, the appropriateness and cost-effectiveness of the treatment that results from direct-to-consumer advertising.”

Source: Meredith B. Rosenthal Harvard School of Public Health

“Further exploration of the characteristics of the patients, doctors, and treatment episodes that are influenced by direct-to-consumer advertising is clearly needed.”

Source: Meredith B. RosenthalHarvard School of Public Health

“Each additional dollar spent on direct-to-consumeradvertising in 2000 yielded $4.20 in additionalpharmaceutical sales in that year.”

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org)

1996 1998 2000Dollars (millions)Detailing 3,010 4,057 4,803Journal Advertising 459 498 484Retail Value of Samples 4,904 6,602 7,954Total Physican Promotion 8,373 11,157 13,241Direct-to-Consumer Promotion 791 1,317 2,467Total Promotion 9,164 12,474 15,708

Spending on Drug Promotions, 1996-2000

Sources: Physician Promotion spending data are from the IMS Health, Integrated Promotion Service, June 2001; Sales data are from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Annual Survey, 2001; Direct-to-Consumer Promotion spending data are from IMS Health and Competitive Media Reporting, June 2001.