DTC ads driving fewer to their doctors, says survey
MM&M Online—Consumers are less likely to seek information about prescription medications and to talk to their doctors about advertised drugs than they were last year, according to Rodale’s annual Consumer Reaction to DTC Advertising of Prescription Drugs survey. Nonetheless, the survey’s findings suggest that DTC advertising stimulates 32 million Americans to seek treatment for a medical condition about which they had no prior discussion with their doctor, said Rodale, and they are increasingly seeking information in health videos and user-generated content online.
The telephone survey of 1,501 US adults, the 12th conducted by Rodale’s Prevention Magazine, found that the number of respondents saying an ad prompted them to seek information about a condition declined 5 points to 29%. Similarly, 33% said an ad prompted them to seek information about a drug a family member were taking – down 6 points from last year – and 30% said they sought info about a drug they were taking after seeing an ad, down 7 points.