Direct-to-Consumer Advertising: Implications for the Pharmacist and Other Health Professionals

Kathleen E Monson; Joseph L Fink 3rd

doi:10.1177/1060028013507238

Direct-to-Consumer Advertising: Implications for the Pharmacist and Other Health Professionals

Ann Pharmacother. 2014 Jul;48(7):916-918. doi: 10.1177/1060028013507238. Epub 2014 May 2.

Authors

Kathleen E Monson¹, Joseph L Fink 3rd²

Affiliations

¹ University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA.
² University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, KY, USA jfink@uky.edu.

PMID: 24792931
DOI: 10.1177/1060028013507238

Abstract

Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription-only medications is big business for pharmaceutical manufacturers and has altered the relationship between patients and health professionals. Seeing promotional messages from the manufacturer of a pharmaceutical can have both positive and negative impacts. These are discussed along with current efforts to control activities in this area as well as possible future developments.

Keywords: advertising; consumer; promotional activities.