The ABC's of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Ads | Consumer Health Information Corporation

The ABC's of Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Ads

Bich-Nguyet Nguyen, Summer Student Intern 2000
and
Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate 2003
VCU / Medical College of Virginia

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) ads for prescription medicines are everywhere! Have you seen the one for heartburn? How about the one for allergies? You can read them in newspapers, magazines, on the Internet, and you can even see them on TV. Do you read the fine print or do you just look at the picture like most people do? Most importantly, do you understand it?

According to pharmaceutical consultants Scott-Levin, the pharmaceutical industry spent $1.3 billion on DTC ads for prescription drugs in 1998. Jupiter Communications, an on-line marketing research firm, says it expects this to reach almost $3.8 billion by 2003.

What is a DTC ad? A DTC ad is a pharmaceutical company's way of advertising their medicines "direct to consumers." The DTC ads are designed to give you easy access to medical information. By advertising directly to you through magazines and TV, pharmaceutical companies are encouraging you to become more active in your medical care. The ads also provide information on newer or more effective treatments for conditions for which you may already being treated.

The purpose of DTC ads is to get you to ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information about the product. A good DTC ad will help you think of the questions to ask your doctor before your visit. But remember, your doctor is the only one who can diagnose and prescribe the medicine for you. However, not everyone needs the drug that is advertised. Therefore, do not pressure your doctor to prescribe medicines being advertised to you if the doctor thinks it is not the right one for you.

How can you recognize a DTC ad? The first part of the DTC ad looks very similar to an ad for a car, cereal, or TV. For example, you might see a field of wildflowers if the drug being advertised is used to treat allergies. On the back of the ad, you will find more detailed information about the medicine. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires companies to fully inform consumers about the risks and benefits of the medicine. The FDA accepts either a Brief Summary or a Patient Package Insert (PPI) on the back of a DTC ad.

The Brief Summary was originally written for doctors and pharmacists and is very technical. It was never intended for consumers. In fact, studies show that only 31% of consumers even bother to read the Brief Summary.

Some drug companies are now realizing how important it is for consumers to be able to understand this information. Consumers need to know how to take the medicines and how to recognize the early stages of side effects. Instead of a Brief Summary, these companies are developing PPIs. PPIs still contain all the information on risks and benefits required by the FDA, but the information is written in everyday language the average consumer can understand. You can trust this information.

Here are some tips to help you make the best use of the information in a DTC ad.