Deciphering the Increase in Direct-to-Consumer Drug Advertising
Drug Market experts joined Drug Topics to discuss the rise in direct-to-consumer drug advertising and what it means for patients around the world.
As society becomes more connected than ever thanks to emerging technologies, corporations are increasingly savvy with how they disseminate advertisements and marketing—whether it be through social media, television, streaming platforms, and more. One product of this increased connectivity is a noticeable rise in drug advertisements, making specific drugs for certain disease states common knowledge to everyday individuals.
“There's some research that shows that direct-to-consumer advertising of drugs might increase patient requests for these drugs, and also the likelihood that they're going to be prescribed by doctors,” said Jenny Markell, PhD Candidate of Health and Public Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “If we're seeing more spending on these drugs, it could, in terms of their advertising, be a marketing strategy to increase prescriptions of those drugs and increase demand for those drugs.”
One example of increased advertising for specific drugs is apparent in the rising demand for glucagon-like peptide-1s (GLP-1s). With expanded designations for these drugs—including the treatment of cardiovascular disease, weight-loss, and diabetes—patients are seeking GLP-1s more than ever before. In turn, this demand has made drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide), Mounjaro (tirzepatide), and Wegovy (semaglutide) household names thanks to increased advertising and societal recognition.
To understand why these drug advertisements seem to currently be at unprecedented levels, Markell joined Drug Topics, along with drug market and lifestyle drug expert Luke Turnock, PhD, to discuss the implications increased advertisements may have on public health.
In part 1 of our video series with Markell and Turnock, we explore the sheer increase in direct-to-consumer advertising and what it may mean for the patients consuming these ads, as well as the pharmacists dispensing the drugs. Stay tuned for part 2 as we focus in on drug advertising on social media and the challenges in regulating and ensuring safe marketing of prescription drugs online.
READ MORE: The Rise in Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs
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