Direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads get poor grades for educating...( Health policy experts suggest regul...),Health

Health policy experts suggest regulation may be needed

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) -- Proponents of consumer drug ads say the promotions do more than sell pills, they also help educate people about medical conditions and treatments. But the controversial ads actually teach very little, according to a new analysis by researchers at UC Davis and UCLA. The researchers call on drug companies to voluntarily improve their advertising -- or face regulation. The analysis and recommendations appear in the December issue of The Journal of Family Practice.

"No English-speaking country other than the United States permits direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising," says Dr. Richard L. Kravitz, director of the UC Davis Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care and a study author. "A leading argument in favor of allowing this advertising is that the ads are educational; however, our research shows that in practice this argument often falls short." Dr. Kravitz and his co-authors scrutinized 320 print ads promoting 101 drug brands. The ads appeared in 18 popular magazines between 1989 and 1998. On an 11-point scale of educational content, the average ad scored only 3.2 points.

Most ads failed to provide information about how a drug works, its success rate, how long it must be taken, alternative treatments, or helpful lifestyle changes. A few ads didn't even reveal the drug's name.

Among the study's findings:

• 9 percent of the prescription drug ads reported the drug's success rate
• 9 percent helped to clarify misconceptions about the medical condition the drug is prescribed to treat
• 11 percent told how long the drug typically must be taken
• 12 percent talked about the condition's prevalence
• 20 percent revealed how long it takes for the drug to work
• 24 percent described lifestyle changes patients can make to improve the condition, either alone or with the drug
• 27 percent provided information abou
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