Advertising to the End Consumers by Pharmaceutical Companies

Abstract

The last several years have seen an increase in the number of direct to consumer advertisements by pharmaceutical companies. Direct to Consumer advertisements (DTC) means targeting the end consumer through advertisements on television, radio, in newspapers, magazines, and the Internet. The qualitative study presents data and supports the need for a future quantitative study to ask physicians and consumers their opinions on whether pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to advertise directly to the end consumer. This article reviews the literature on this controversial topic, supporting the need to explore the reserach questions in greater detail. A review of the literature suggests there is financial motivation on the part of the pharmaceutical companies to increase their sales by advertsing directly to the end consumer as opposed to performing an educational service to the consumer.