Inappropriate drug use was common in our study cohort. Inappropriate use of medication in the elderly, particularly propoxyphene, is associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes.

The growth in direct-to-consumer advertising(DTCA)over the past two decades has facilitated the communication of prescription drug information directly to consumers. Data from a 1999 national survey are employed to determine the factors influencing consumers' opinions of the utility of DTC ads for health care decision making. We also analyze whether consumers use DTC ad information in health care decision making and who are the key drivers of such information utilization. The study results suggest that consumers have positive opinions of DTCA utility, varying across demographics and perceptions of certain advertisement features. Specifically, consumers value information about both risks and benefits, but the perception of risk information is more important in shaping opinions of ad utility than the perception of benefit information. Consumers still perceive, however that the quality of benefit information in DTC ads is better than that of risk information. Opinions about ad utility significantly influence whether information from DTC ads is used in health care decision making.

No abstract

To what extent does direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising communicate detailed technical information (e.g., relevant to risks, warnings, indications, contraindications, adverse effects)? This study examines whether consumers attend to the brief summary of risk information in product-specific print direct-to-consumer advertisements and whether they find it useful in discussing the risks of taking the drug with their physicians. The authors analyze data from a 1999 national survey of 1205 consumers. A discussion of the study findings highlights the implications for the development of future public policy in this area.

The proliferation of both manufacturer-controlled and independent medication-related websites has aroused concern among consumers and policy-makers concerning the trustworthiness of Web-based drug information. The authors examine consumers' trust in on-line prescription drug information and its influence on information search behavior. The study design involves a retrospective analysis of data from a 1998 national survey. The findings reveal that trust in drug information from traditional media sources such as television and newspapers transfers to the domain of the Internet. Furthermore, a greater trust in on-line prescription drug information stimulates utilization of the Internet for information search after exposure to prescription drug advertising.

Online surveys were conducted to determine the impact of endorser credibility, endorser effectiveness, and consumers' involvement in direct-to-consumer advertising. In a randomized posttest only study, using the elaboration likelihood model, survey participants (U.S. adults) were either exposed to a fictitious prescription drug ad with a celebrity or a noncelebrity endorser. There was no significant difference in credibility and effectiveness between the celebrity and the noncelebrity endorser. High involvement consumers viewed the ad more favorably and exhibited significantly stronger drug inquiry intentions during their next doctor visit. Further, consumers' involvement did not moderate the effect of celebrity endorser.

PurposeThe paper's aim is to measure the effect of various brief summary formats on consumers' drug‐related knowledge, evaluations of ad information, ad believability, attitudes towards the ad and brand, perceived product risk and intention to use ad information in making healthcare decisions.Design/methodology/approachUsing mall‐intercept surveys, 307 US women, age 18‐50 years, were randomly assigned to one of the six different versions of brief summary formats for a birth control medicine. The six brief summary formats included: no brief summary, traditional (continuous prose) brief summary, risk information window, bulleted list, nutrition facts panel, and question‐answer format. The participants completed a closed‐ended questionnaire after reviewing the print ad.FindingsMANOVA indicated presence of a multivariate main effect. However, univariate ANOVAs, performed to evaluate the effect of individual formats, revealed that the eight outcome variables did not vary significantly across the six brief summary formats. Nevertheless, respondents exhibited more positive evaluation of the newer brief summary formats compared to the traditional brief summary format, albeit there was no statistically significant difference among the newer formats.Practical implicationsConsumers clearly prefer newer brief summary formats to the traditional brief summary format.Originality/valueThis research provides additional insights about risk communication in direct‐to‐consumer ads and may assist the FDA in the development of a standardized regulatory structure for the future. Providing brief summary in a clearer, understandable, and consumer‐friendly manner can help consumers in deciding whether the drug is appropriate for their condition.

No abstract