Dca Advantages And Disadvantages

There are many disadvantages of DTCA as there are advantages. Like, damaging relationship with their health-care provider, misinforming patients, overemphasizing drug benefits, inappropriate prescribing, promotion of new drugs before safety profiles are fully known, and most important of all increasing health-care costs. DTCA is often criticized for its potential impact on the patient-provider relationship. Providers often find themselves challenged with increased work and frustration when a patient questions their clinical authority with a piece of “evidence” obtained from an ad or website. (2). Often, physicians oppose the idea of DTCA because they feel that it is difficult and time-consuming to convince their patients that a drug is inappropriate
Although, studies have shown that only “2% to 7% of drug requests by patients are successful”, but in one study reported that such requests were made during about “40% of doctor visits and were successful more than half the time” (2). For example, one of the most frequently cited example regarding an issue with a drug, Vioxx. During that time, Merck spent over $100 trillion per year to build the drug into a “blockbuster” seller. Patients started to request that drug, but without knowing that it could lead to a stroke or myocardial infraction (2). In most DTC ads, they emphasize drug benefits over risks. Physicians also report that most patients who initiate a request for a certain drug, often don’t understand the risks of the drug as they do with the benefits. In addition, ads often show a mismatch between visual imagery and verbal messages when risk information is presented. For example, “a person may be seen enjoying a walk in a park while the narrator lists serious side effects”
DTC ads provoke consumers to buy the advertised drug by giving them false-sense of hope. Firstly, DTCA indirectly raises prices by “persuading” consumers to switch from a low cost drug to a high cost drug with little to no benefit. Secondly, DTCA can increase prices directly simply due to the large costs of advertising. Due to DTCA for drugs has increased from $200 million in 1997 to $4 billion in 2011, this money accounts for 37% of total drug promotion expenditures (1). Therefore, we can conclude that everyday DTCA is attracting new consumers and expands the overall