IN SUMMARY: Proponents of DTC advertising argue that advertisements can raise awareness about treatments and health conditions, though others say that DTC advertising can lead to overprescribing. However, the authors of a recent study found that information seeking behavior following exposure to DTC advertising. Some of these studies associated information seeking more strongly with patients with chronic conditions and those with a more positive view of DTC advertising.
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KEY IDEA: Patients are people. Our healthcare system is not designed for people, it’s designed for conditions. We spend too much money on treatments that may prolong life a few weeks but at what about the quality of life and the patient’s voice?
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IN SUMMARY: I have been critical of big pharma because they keep their loyalty to Wall Street instead of patients. When the really good people within the industry learn to take risks and be heard the industry might change.
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IN SUMMARY: Brilinta is taking on Plavix in the market for blood thinners and AZ is getting aggressive in trying to get patients to switch. The website for Brilinta is well done but one can’t help but wonder if why it has to look like a page out of a medical journal rather than a consumer branded site.
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IN SUMMARY: DTC awards should not be decided by industry people who have a vested interest in winners. They should be decided by patients who were motivated to “learn more” or ask their doctor for a prescription.
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