From: Archives of Internal Medicine, Vol. 164 No.4

Studies have shown that direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertising can influence consumer behavior and although studies have also shown that many physicians have negative views of these advertisements, the way they may affect the physician-patient relationship are not well established.

In a recent study using a mailed survey to 784 physicians and a telephone survey of 500 households, most physicians tended to view direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements negatively, indicating that the advertisements rarely provide enough information on cost (98.7%), alternative treatment options (94.9%), or adverse effects (54.8%). Physicians also tended to feel that DTC advertising led patients to request specific medications (80.7%) as well as lengthened clinical encounters with patients (55.9%). Of the households surveyed, only 10.5% responded that the advertisements motivated them to seek health care and only 13.3% responded that the advertisements led them to request specific medicine from their physicians.

Thus, the study concludes, that many physicians see some potential side effects from DTC advertising on the physician-patient relationship. While these advertisements may be influencing only a few customers, it seems that the impact on physicians and their interactions with patients may be significant.