Many people think that TV pharmaceutical ads need to serve up side effects straight up; not obscure them in "a swirling castanet show", as Bill Thomas, Republican representative from California recently put it.
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) (subscription), reports today that a FDA study in 1992 showed that only 5% of patients understood very well, or at all, the possible risks and side effects of drugs, while 59% asked for the drugs by name. Doctors responded with the requested presciption about 57% of the time.
The article notes that Johnson and Johnson is market testing a new sort of drug ad. The ad shows a patient at a doctor's appointment, apparently gung ho about getting birth control pills. The doctor sits down with the patient and issues a cautionary "let's talk" followed by clear details of the risks of taking the pill, like blood clots and strokes.
The change in marketing tactic is no doubt brought on by strong persistent criticism of the direct to consumer industry, as well as recent Cox-2 inhibitor links to heart risks. Officials from the FDA are testifying in the Senate this week about the handling of public information regarding potential Vioxx dangers. The drug was pulled from the market last fall then released conditionally.
Apparently the highly profitable drug industry is ready to risk frankness. Direct to consumer (DTC) spending by the pharmaceutical industry increased 27% to last year to $4.44 billion. Of course it's hard to imagine how some companies will manage to fit all those side effects into those short spots.
