How Consumers’ Attitudes toward Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs Influence and Effectiveness, and Consumer and Physician Behavior

Abstract

Data from 1081 adults surveyed by the FDA were analyzed to explore consumers’ attitudes toward direct-toconsumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs, and the relation between these attitudes and health related consumption behaviors. We report the favorableness of consumers’ reactions to DTCA, and more importantly, demonstrate that consumers’ attitudes toward DTCA are related to whether they search for more information about a drug that is advertised, and ask their physician about the drug. Finally, we document how consumers’ attitudes towards DTCA relate to the prescription writing behavior of their physicians. Mediation analyses that more fully explicate these findings are discussed.

Keywords: direct-to-consumer advertising, consumer behavior