The Relationship Between Media Exposure In Direct-To-Consumer Advertising (Dtca) Of Prescription Drugs, Patient Demand And Patient Satisfaction: A Secondary Data Analysis Of The Public Health Impact
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Date
2011
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Public Health and Policy
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Doctor of Public Health
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This item is made available by Morgan State University for personal, educational, and research purposes in accordance with Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. Other uses may require permission from the copyright owner.
Abstract
Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs is one of today's most controversial marketing techniques employed by pharmaceutical companies. DTCA is the promotion of prescription drugs through newspaper, magazine, television, and internet marketing. The objectives of this study were to add to the small but growing body of empirical literature on DTCA of prescription drugs, understanding the influence of media exposure of DTCA prescription drugs on patient health outcomes, and further describe the effects DTCA is having on the public health of U.S. consumers. Specifically, the study explored the health determinants of patient demand, whether people with higher levels of exposure to media are more likely to have increased patient demand compared to lower levels of exposure to media, and people with a higher level of exposure to media are more likely to have patient demand with the status of health insurance. Finally, the study explored whether patients who demanded DTCA prescription drugs, are patients with higher levels of media exposure associated with patient satisfaction, adjusting for adverse drug events, health related quality of life, socio-demographic variables, and health status. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted using logistic regression models to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Health insurance status was analyzed as a potential interaction on the relationship between media exposure, patient demand, and patient satisfaction. Results from the analysis show those patients who reported having exposure to DTCA of prescription drugs via medium media exposure and high media exposure are 1.5 times (OR=1.53; 95% 1.11, 3.48) and 2.3 times (OR=2.32; 95%CI=0.95, 2.78) significantly (p<0.001) more likely to have patient demand compared to those having low media exposure. Finally, the results show that patients reporting having been exposed to DTCA prescription drugs via media exposure (medium exposure) are about 2.1 times (OR=2.14; 95% CI=1.00, 4.22 ) significantly (p<0.05) more likely to have patient satisfaction as compared to low media exposure after controlling for socio-demographic variables, adverse drug events, and health related quality of life. Overall, the results of this study suggest the need for continued research on DTCA of prescription drugs and patient health outcomes.