PHA-Exchange> Drugs advert in US

[aviva]

> > Subject: Drug Advertising in U.S.
> >
> >
> > > Short article from 'Family Health Matters' ezine, edited by
Dr.Brad
> > Krueger.
> > > >
> > > >  Big Spenders
> > > >
> > > >  We've all seen the recent increase in television commercials
for
> > > >  various drugs. In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
> > > >  reduced its restrictions for mass media advertising of
> > > >  prescription drugs, allowing pharmaceutical companies to air
TV
> > > >  commercials without including details on the side effects of
these
> > > >  drugs. Drug companies have been spending much more on
advertising
> > > >  as a result.
> > > >
> > > >  Using data on advertising costs and prescription drug sales
from
> > > >  1999-2000, the authors of this study investigated whether drug
> > > >  sales are being disproportionately influenced by increased
> > > >  advertising, through a sampling of approximately 40,000 retail
> > > >  outlets.
> > > >
> > > >  Merely 1% of all prescription drugs in the U.S. accounted for
half
> > > >  of the money spent on drug advertising. In other words, nearly
50%
> > > >  of the money spent on the total of almost 10,000 available
> > > >  prescription drugs was spent on the 50 most-advertised drugs.
The
> > > >  sale of these drugs jumped approximately one-third, while
sales of
> > > >  all other drugs combined increased only 14%.
> > > >
> > > >  In 2000, the arthritis drug Vioxx topped the list for
advertising
> > > >  costs, at $160 million - 7% of the total $2.3 billion per-year
> > > >  drug-market spending. Prilosec (for stomach ulcers) and
Claritin
> > > >  (for allergies) followed Vioxx in advertising costs. Of
concern is
> > > >  that doctors and their patients are seeking particular drugs
> > > >  because they are well known; not necessarily because they are
the
> > > >  best or safest treatments for a condition.
> > > >
> > > >  Findlay S, Sherman D, Chockley N, et al. Prescription drugs
and
> > > >  mass media advertising, 2000. National Institute for Health
Care
> > > >  Management Research and Education Foundation, November 2001.
> > > >  Online at http://www.nihcm.org.
> > > >  *****
>