University of Kentucky
Effects of Direct to Consumer Advertising on Physician Prescription Intention
Institution
University of Kentucky
Faculty Advisor/ Mentor
C. Melody Carswell
Abstract
Spending by the pharmaceutical industry on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) tripled from 1996 to 2000 and shows the recent change in the marketing practices of this $259 billion industry. Proponents claim this advertising facilitates the communication between physicians and their patients but may in fact be harming this relationship by exploiting it for marketing purposes and higher profits. With patients presenting more persuasive messages derived from pharmaceutical advertising, physician resistance to this form of persuasion may increase; the result could be an intention to resist this marketing strategy by prescribing generic drugs. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of DTCA on the patient-physician relationship by interviewing physicians, and to predict their intended prescription behavior. Physicians ranging in specialties and years of practice are interviewed in a semi-structured process in order to determine their perceptions and intentions towards the pharmaceutical industry. Responses are examined by evaluating physician resistance to persuasive messages and correlating the number of encounters to persuasive messages (patients requesting specific drugs) with intent to prescribe generic drugs. We hypothesize that as encounter rates increase physicians showing higher rates of resistance to DTCA prescribe fewer name brand drugs in order to restore balance in the relationship model that contains the physician, patient, and pharmaceutical company. Consequently, the relationship remains unbalanced if physicians continue to view the pharmaceutical companies negatively. Results provide direction for further academic research regarding the processes involved in persuasion that DTCA promotes. Implications for future advertising and marketing efforts in the medical field are provided.
Effects of Direct to Consumer Advertising on Physician Prescription Intention
Spending by the pharmaceutical industry on Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) tripled from 1996 to 2000 and shows the recent change in the marketing practices of this $259 billion industry. Proponents claim this advertising facilitates the communication between physicians and their patients but may in fact be harming this relationship by exploiting it for marketing purposes and higher profits. With patients presenting more persuasive messages derived from pharmaceutical advertising, physician resistance to this form of persuasion may increase; the result could be an intention to resist this marketing strategy by prescribing generic drugs. This study seeks to evaluate the effect of DTCA on the patient-physician relationship by interviewing physicians, and to predict their intended prescription behavior. Physicians ranging in specialties and years of practice are interviewed in a semi-structured process in order to determine their perceptions and intentions towards the pharmaceutical industry. Responses are examined by evaluating physician resistance to persuasive messages and correlating the number of encounters to persuasive messages (patients requesting specific drugs) with intent to prescribe generic drugs. We hypothesize that as encounter rates increase physicians showing higher rates of resistance to DTCA prescribe fewer name brand drugs in order to restore balance in the relationship model that contains the physician, patient, and pharmaceutical company. Consequently, the relationship remains unbalanced if physicians continue to view the pharmaceutical companies negatively. Results provide direction for further academic research regarding the processes involved in persuasion that DTCA promotes. Implications for future advertising and marketing efforts in the medical field are provided.