Chapter One: Introduction
Advertising is a significant marketing weapon companies use to influence consumers’ behavior and patterns. The marketing mix is comprised of four main components, which include promotion, product, price, and place. Advertising is an element of the promotional marketing mix and is considered by marketers to be crucial because it influences the purchasing behavior of consumers since it is solely responsible for forming awareness about a product. Advertising as a marketing tool has been used by marketers since ancient periods and has undergone tremendous evolution over the years. Today, all companies, regardless of size, must engage in one or more forms of advertising to penetrate the market due to the high competition. Consumers pay massive attention to the advertising message as well as the implementation approach; hence, the importance of the marketing tool.
The concept of advertisement has existed in marketing for a long time, even in the pre-historic period. Kumar (2015) mentions that advertisement is evidenced back in Egypt in the slave trade in which Egyptian papyrus was used that contained details of the forthcoming sale of slaves. Advertising in that era was done through the presentation of oral or written messages about a specific product or service. Other methods of advertising that were used in the pre-historic periods included wax boards and the embodiment of important marketing information on buildings and roadside rocks. Similar to contemporary product marketing, there was the promotion of various products that were used in that era, including weapons, horses, oxen, and olive oil, as well as storage items for the oil (Aitken, Gray, & Lawson, 2008). Advertising of services was also present during this era, such as announcements about public baths and calls about entertainment joints such as pubs offering unique foods and drinks.
However, advertising gained remarkable development during the mass communication era following the invention of typography and photography in the mid-nineteenth century. The use of photography to promote products and services proved to be critical in creating awareness due to its lasting impression on consumers. Nevertheless, numerous marketing studies have shown that advertising underwent massive developments in the twentieth century (Belanche et al., 2017). This is evidenced by the tremendous innovations and changes in technology, which play a central role in the process of modern advertising. The popularity of advertising was witnessed in the 20th century predominantly because of the high level of industrial production and increased competition for new markets. The developments have seen the rise of sophisticated strategies for making and distributing advertisements, including satellite communications, printing, television, radio, computers, and the Internet. Adopting these technologies has made advertising increasingly professional and organized to achieve maximum outcomes.
The mainstream media is accessible to almost everybody today, which has positively shaped the concept of advertising. Different marketing studies have revealed that advertising has long-term impacts on consumers in comparison to other marketing strategies (Whitley et al., 2018). Regardless of its size, every company sets aside a significant amount of revenue to advertise its products and services to existing and prospective customers. Different studies have been undertaken to understand further what advertising entails and its influence on consumers. Mothersbaugh and Hawkins (2016) mention that advertising comprises a robust instrument of commerce with the ability to manipulate the behaviors and minds of people, which companies utilize as a tool to achieve their organizational objectives. In their study, Schivinski and Dabrowski (2016) particularly view advertising as the process of dispersing information about a product, service, or concept.
The main goal of conducting advertisements is to influence the purchasing behavior of the consumer. There are various forms of advertising used by marketers, which include broadcast advertising involving television and radio; print advertising that entails brochures, magazines, and newspapers; product placement advertising; outdoor advertising; and internet advertising that includes display advertisements and social media. According to Mirabi et al. (2015), the impact of advertising on consumers can be understood by examining the effectiveness of the message used in an advert. Using advertising as a marketing technique is a critical component in creating product or service awareness among prospective consumers because it influences their minds, contributing to their decision to make the purchase.
Research conducted by Belch and Belch (2018) found that a customer is likely to judge a product based on the accumulation of information gathered through marketing. As such, in the event of economic and technical developments, the stiff competition between companies poses a significant challenge in changing customers’ views of products and influencing their decisions to make a purchase. Marketing managers need to understand the dynamic aspect of the market to identify the existing marketing gap. Further, effective advertising entails investing more in learning the behaviors of current and prospective consumers to develop appropriate marketing messages to influence their choices.
On the verge of rigorous commercial development, companies are investing heavily in advertising to increase profitability through awareness creation of their products and services. Advertising is driven by the intention to influence the purchasing behavior of customers since it is based on establishing a lasting memory of a particular brand. Memories regarding a specific brand involve the associations linked to the name of a brand in the minds of consumers. Thus, marketers need to evaluate the consumers’ behavior to identify an advertising strategy with a strong impact. Understanding consumer behavior is critical for promoters because it enables marketers to understand how customers behave in different situations. Every marketer aims to positively influence the consumer; hence, the need to evaluate how customers react to various products during an advertisement.
It has become tremendously challenging for companies to offer product differentiation based on functional features because the market is experiencing a product and services surplus. Establishing product differentiation through operational aspects has proven not to create a long-term impression since it is easy for competitors to use the same approach. Marketers have developed a solution for this challenge by developing advertising models that create lasting memories among consumers through the concept of brand image. Using this concept in advertising establishes an emotional relationship between the brand and consumers, consequently influencing their buying behavior. Andrews and Shimp (2018) assert that customers have a high possibility of relating to brand advertisements that create emotional values rather than functional aspects. These aspects form the foundation of this study, as it is evident that companies cannot create a competitive edge in today’s business environment without engaging in one or more advertising approaches.
Conventional studies on the functionality of advertising and its impact on consumers have inclined on the prominence of the advertising communication and implementation approach and have resonated this with various ideas such as purpose, motivation, and involvement (Andrews & Shimp, 2018). In the light of the study, consumers vigorously process advertisements that correspond with their specific needs of purchase and react to product or brand information regarding the advertisement’s affective or cognitive appeals. Nevertheless, the study also identified potential or actual consumers (audience) as the recipients of marketing information instead of central players in the process of communication that establishes relationships and meanings. Several new studies into the effectiveness of advertising emphasize the active nature of the connections between consumers and the advertising message, as well as the visualization they opt to interact with during advertisement.
Advertising in the pharmaceutical industry is a common aspect and has witnessed an increase in the recent past. The prevalence of these marketing has resulted in the rising number of television understanding. Food and Drug (FDA), which is the governing body in medicine increased, has contributed to the rising pharmaceutical advertising. The relaxation of advertising rules and regulations has witnessed the increasing growth in advertising. Spending on prescription drugs has experienced an increase in the recent past compared to the costs of other healthcare services, and this has raised numerous concerns. Most stakeholders in the health sector argue that growth in direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising by pharmaceutical firms has contributed massively to the increase in drug prescriptions (Sullivan et al., 2020).
According to Becker and Midoun (2016), direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals entails any form of promotion or demonstration of prescribed medication information to the public through various media channels. The phenomenon has gained widespread attention in the recent past because it has increased consumer access to information regarding drug prescriptions. Pharmaceutical product advertising dates back to the eighteenth century and gained significant popularity through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Changes in regulation about the advertising of pharmaceutical products in the late 1990s contributed to the changes in spending on direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceutical products. The expenditure in the United States moved from around 150 million dollars in 1993 to more than four billion in 2005 (Sinkinson & Starc, 2019). The adoption of broadcast advertising led to a rise in prescription drug expenditure by almost twenty thousand percent.
The application of the concept of Direct-to-Consumer by pharmaceutical organizations has sparked increased controversy as some view the concept as effective to the general public while others view it as a menace. The advertisement concept in the United States is executed through radio, television, newspapers, the internet, magazines, and billboards. A study conducted by Mackey, Cuomo, & Liang (2015) exploring advertising and consumer purchasing behavior in the US established that an average American spends around twenty per year watching such advertisements. The United States and New Zealand are the only two countries that have legalized the use of DTCA in drug prescriptions. The content of DTCA on broadcast is highly regulated, which creates a high probability of misrepresentation of information on drugs.
The Food and Drug Administration provided guidelines to guide DTCA that required pharmaceutical companies to give comprehensive information regarding the use and risks contained drug’s product label insert approved by the FDA; hence, limiting advertisements to print. Following the changes in regulations, companies were required to ensure that the broadcasted advertisements included only main announcements concerning the benefits and risks of the drugs being promoted as well as an attenuate source of information facilitating total revelation (DeFrank et al., 2020). The adoption of direct-to-consumer advertisements over the years has proved to have a positive effect on the relationship between physicians and patients since customers are more exposed to more information about various drugs. Thus, the communication between the two parties has improved drastically since it provides a discussion about different health conditions and the available options for treatment.
Consumer groups and Congress have constantly challenged the new FDA regulations, citing negative effects on society. According to pharmaceutical promoters and experts, direct-to-consumer advertisements provide knowledge and insights to patients about the available treatment options. Further, Applequist and Ball (2018) mention that using this advertising model catalyzes effective communication between the physician and patient because the patients have indirectly interacted with various drugs the doctor prescribes. The advertisement also plays a critical role in enhancing contact between the patient and physician as well as developing suitable treatment for health conditions that may have been under-treated.
According to a study examining the impact of DTCA on American society, Congressional leaders argued that the concept of advertising in the pharmaceutical industry contributes to the increasing costs of drugs, putting forth the need for the FDA to revise the regulations. Another proposal that has been developed by the opponents of direct-to-consumer advertisement in Congress is enforcing a halt on any advertisement on drugs that have been launched within two years to provide physicians, FDA, and patients ample time to study any prevalent safety concerns following the drug’s entry into the market. Several consumer groups support the criticism by Congress, contending that direct-to-consumer advertisements contain incorrect information because patients may not be able to interpret the message in the advertisement correctly. Further, these groups mention that the prices of prescription drugs continue to increase due to the widespread adoption of DTCA in the pharmaceutical industry.
Pharmaceutical manufacturers continue to increase the amount of money used in marketing activities despite the growing criticism. Besides policymakers and politicians, physicians are also concerned by the extensive marketing expenditures these companies use to conduct direct-to-consumer advertisement campaigns. As a result, Ashwood et al. (2017) mention that physicians have started to limit the number of sales representatives of drug companies they see daily. Moreover, the frequency of drug advertisements is also becoming a concern for the general public, creating a sense of oversaturation about drug information. These concerns make the notion that many pharmaceutical companies focus more on marketing research than scientific studies, mainly due to the large amount of investments dedicated to advertising.
Sinkinson and Starc (2019) mention that the prevalence of direct-to-consumer advertisement in the pharmaceutical is characterized by factors in other industries, such as competition. However, opponents of this advertising model argue that pharmaceutical manufacturers are only concerned with marketing the newest and most expensive drugs. They feel that these companies do not promote other drugs, especially the older ones, which may be cheaper, more effective, and safer for the patients. Additionally, vigorous marketing efforts are expensive, which consequently increases the expenditure for drug prescriptions both in the private and public sectors. Sullivan et al. (2019) conducted empirical research on pharmaceutical marketing and found out that the prices of treatment drugs have intensely increased in recent years at an alarming rate compared to the general healthcare inflation rate.
Further, the adoption of DTCA in the marketing of prescription drugs has also raised concerns in which critics argue that the pricing practices of most of the drugs are socially reckless and unsuitable. Gallo et al. (2015) evaluated the prices of drugs in Canada and Mexico and found that drugs in the two countries were much cheaper than in the United States; hence, conforming to the arguments that direct-to-consumer advertising contributes to the rising drug prices in the US. However, proponents of the approach argue that indulgence in rigorous marketing by pharmaceutical companies has positively shaped healthcare. Similar to other mainstream companies, Datta (2017) contends that pharmaceutical firms engage in effective, evident, well-studied market research and organized advertisements.
The rigorous marketing efforts play a critical role in the healthcare industry because they enhance the awareness of the general public about important medical conditions, which increases their likelihood of addressing the conditions. Further, the information conveyed through different advertising channels is also important to medical practitioners because it challenges them to conduct more research about the advertised drugs.
1.2 Problem Statement
Direct-to-consumer advertising in the medical world can be described as the promotional approaches by pharmaceutical firms or other medical services to disseminate important information concerning drugs or medical services to the general public through the mainstream media (Wilkes, et al., 2000). Drugs are the most common products advertised directly to consumers, but other items are marketed to consumers, such as cancer centers, medical devices, imaging services, genetic testing, and home health services. Pharmaceutical organizations in the recent past have dedicated a significant amount of their sales profits to promotions and marketing of medicines with the aim of maintaining and maximizing their market share. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately one-third of the profits gained from sales made by pharmaceutical companies are spent on advertising, which exceeds the allocation set aside for scientific development.
Advertisements of drugs directly to consumers are classified into three categories that include health-seeking advertisements, reminder advertisements, and product-specific advertisements. Heath-seeking advertisements aim to educate consumers about a medical condition or illness without mentioning a particular drug for treatment. Medical companies use reminder advertisements to provide consumers with the name of the medicine as well as little information about the drug but withhold its use, safety, and effectiveness. Product-specific advertisement is more comprehensive since it mentions the name of the drug, explains its use in therapy, and provides its efficacy and safety concerns. Beales III (1993) asserts that the majority of the advertisements by pharmaceutical companies directed toward consumers fall under the category of product-specific advertisements.
Problem Statement
Marketing and advertising in the pharmaceutical sector are different from other industries since the primary focus of the consumers is physicians and medical experts. This is because they are the sole drug prescribers to the patients, which forms the marketers’ view that it is essential to influence the prescribing behavior of physicians. Additionally, despite targeting patients as the consumers in the promotional approaches, pharmaceutical companies believe that the patients will inquire about more information from the physicians concerning the drugs portrayed in advertisements. Pharmaceutical companies use their medical representatives to establish frequent interactions with physicians through symposiums, sponsored teachings, gifts, and free meals and trips as a direct advertising marketing technique.
In the recent past, pharmaceutical companies have increased their focus on oncology advertising due to the prevalence of cancer cases globally. Advertisements on hormonal therapies, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies for cancer are a central focus for these companies, and they are being conveyed directly to patients. A study by Viale (2002) aimed to understand whether direct-to-consumer advertising in oncology manifests differently from other segments of medicine. Oncology patients and their relatives are extremely desperate to understand drugs and therapies that can have a lasting effect on cancer, making pharmaceutical companies invest in direct-to-consumer advertising. Despite the increased advances and developments in oncology, desperations and concerns are prevalent among patients since there is no long-term solution for the illness. Therefore, with the increasing use of direct advertising to consumers about oncology drugs and treatment, it is difficult to determine the impact of the marketing approach on drug prescription by physicians.
It is important to examine the concept of fair balance when seeking to understand the influence of pharmaceutical advertising on consumers and the prescription of drugs. According to Hutchison and Halperin (2002), in regulating direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies, the Food and Drug Administration requires the presentation of advantages, side effects, and risks altogether. However, it might be impossible to achieve this regulation in oncology due to the complications of the illness. Proportional benefits and the numerous visible effects in chemotherapeutics, especially in patients who are seriously ill, pose a big challenge for the regulatory body. These elements contribute to the increasing concerns on whether there is a need to establish a distinction when it comes to oncology, allowing direct-consumer advertising solely for supportive drugs.
According to Kocs & Fendrick (2003), it is essential to gather helpful information about drugs and medical conditions regardless of the source of information, whether it comes from physicians or pharmaceutical companies. However, the biggest challenge is ensuring that the sources provide unbiased details due to the significant effect it poses in prescribing drugs. The problem of biased information can be overcome by improving oversight mechanisms and, in this case, the FDA, which regulates pharmaceutical advertising. Moreover, Abel et al. (2006) the possibility of attaining unbiased information is an issue of concern due to the emergence of irresoluble conflict of interest with respect to the aims of pharmaceutical firms to conduct direct-to-consumer advertising. It is impossible to reconcile these competing matters due to the conflicting nature of the involved parties.
The role of a physician in treating any patient is very critical because he or she is responsible for prescribing drugs. Huang (2000) holds a contrary opinion, noting that concerning oncologists, the recovery of a patient is the most critical aspect. Besides the proficiency and information of an oncologist, good patient treatment is contributed by accurate prescriptions for the illness. Therefore, proper prescription of drugs is influenced by the provision of precise information possessed by an oncologist, which can be derived from experience, expertise, or a company’s medical representative. Medical representatives form an essential component in direct advertising because they help respond to oncologists’ queries concerning a particular drug being advertised.
The increasing number of pharmaceutical firms and scientific advancements require managers to develop strategies to improve particular drug sales targets and establish a competitive edge. As such, the companies opt for direct-to-consumer advertising as the most suitable marketing approach to convey the intended information to physicians and patients. Apart from increasing sales and competitiveness, Woloshin et al. (2001) argue that advertisements by pharmaceutical companies aimed directly at consumers are essential because patients can learn a lot about certain drugs.
Similar to oncologists, it is important to understand that patients have many questions about their medical conditions, but they lack information because they are not experts. Eccles et al. (2006) assert that obtaining information about cancer drugs from an oncologist without any form of background knowledge is significantly challenging. A significant number of cancer patients feel powerless when undergoing treatment because of the devastating effects of the treatment on their body. Lack of awareness of some of the drugs used in the treatment process may create a negative relationship between the patient and the physician. Therefore, direct-to-consumer advertising is crucial to patients because it is a tool for empowerment, education, and information.
Patients’ interactions with advertisements on various drugs provide them with vast knowledge about the benefits and side effects, helping them to understand prescriptions given to them by physicians. Consequently, it allows them to cope with some of the negative impacts they may experience when undergoing treatment, enhancing their attitudes toward the physician. Since oncology is a complex medical field, patients can benefit from direct-to-consumer advertisements because they provide them with more than one source of information regarding drugs and other options for treatment. The advertisements give them crucial insights into their medical condition and allow them to establish better relationships with oncologists during treatment.
Gallan (2004) opines that the Internet is one of the direct-to-consumer advertising tools used by pharmaceutical companies, which has become a prevalent source of medical information for patients and the general public. Research conducted by Gönül et al. (2001) indicated that despite doctors being the most trusted source of medical information, many patients search for information online before consulting with a physician. The study found that patients who visit physicians without prior details do not have any inquiries about the prescribed drugs and may be unable to establish a positive relationship with their doctor if the drugs fail to respond to their medical condition. Moreover, it asserts that apart from encouraging consumers to purchase medicines, direct-to-consumer advertisements communicate the safety risks and effects of various drugs. Campo et al. (2005) argue that information on drug safety and side effects in clinical oncology is critical because patients gain vital information needed in their treatment.
A study on direct-to-consumer advertisements by Schumock et al. (2004) found that cancer patients who have come across a medical ad formed a better relationship with their doctor than those who have not seen the ad. As aforementioned, most of the advertisements about drugs and medical treatments contain drug names, effectiveness, and safety, which gives consumers a considerable amount of information. Therefore, patients with a background in such details tend to engage the physician by asking important questions before the prescription of drugs. Hutchison (2002) argued that positive dialogue with experts has been used in clinical oncology to understand cancer patients more because it allows physicians to address the precise details of each patient.
1.3 Purpose Statement
This study aims to examine the impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising on physician describing of drugs.
1.4 Nature of the Study
The nature of this study is to conduct explorative research using a qualitative research method whereby surveys will be relied upon to understand underlying concepts on how commercial drug advertising influences the prescribing of drugs by physicians. Additionally, this study will adopt a quantitative research technique in which doctors will be interviewed to provide the research with attitudinal insights.
1.5 Research Questions
This study sought to determine the impact of direct-to-consumer (DTC) on physician prescribing of drugs, and the following research questions were developed.
- What are the perceptions of consumers toward pharmaceutical companies’ advertising prescription drugs?
- What is the effect of prescription drug advertisements on the relationship between patient and physician?
- What factors do pharmaceutical companies consider when formulating advertisement messages about prescription drugs?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
This research paper seeks to understand the impact of direct-to-consumer advertising and how it can influence drug prescription. As such, the relationship between the perception of this advertising model and the subsequent behavior is significant in answering the study questions. Consumers may have inconsistent relationships with direct-to-consumer advertising in the sense that factors contributing to consumer attitudes towards this form of advertising could be different from the factors that enable consumers’ behavioral intention. These factors include the desire to inquire about a disease or drug from a physician, developing an interest in use advertised through DTC, and genuinely looking for information about a specific drug from a physician (Kantor et al., 2015).
The possibility of a patient requesting a particular prescription drug from a physician is based on several variables, such as the quality of direct-to-consumer advertising, the patient’s perception of his or her ability to make a reasonable assessment of the advertisement information, and the value of the message embedded on the advertisement. Thus, the following hypothesis is developed to achieve the aim of the study.
H1. The readiness of a consumer or patient to consult a physician concerning an advertised prescription drug is a function of the perceived competence of the patient, the quality of the advertisement, and the perceived value of the information presented by the direct-to-consumer advertisement.
Despite the prevalence of direct-to-consumer advertisements in recent times, the language used in most advertisements poses a comprehension challenge to regular consumers. Most of the literature on prescription drugs is very difficult for an average grown-up to understand, resulting in consumers seeking more information from others to evaluate the reliability of the information they receive from medical advertisements. Additionally, a significant number of consumers consult with their physicians to approve or disapprove particular assertions about prescription drugs made through advertising (Mackey, et al., 2015). Further, several studies have found that even physicians and medical experts hold varying perceptions regarding the value of direct-to-consumer advertising.
Consumers are becoming more informed about different drugs available for the treatment of certain medical conditions; hence, there is more possibility to insist on a particular drug brand, and this establishes the basis of the type of relationship between a patient and physician. Sinkinson and Starc (2019) opine that physicians may prescribe a drug of the patient’s preference, especially if the previous medication failed to respond to the illness. Additionally, physicians are likely not to prescribe drugs that they have come across in an advertisement because there are chances that they have interacted with the drug in their practice or are aware of a better alternative for treatment.
The form of relationship between a patient and physician plays a vital role in understanding the influence of DTC advertising. The existence of a good relationship between the two parties leads to more exchange of information since the patient will tend to seek clarification about different claims derived from an advert. Patient trust forms the nature of the relationship; hence, when the trust is high, the patients perceive the physician as the primary source of information. Therefore, any information gained from other sources, such as DTC advertising, will be secondary and will not influence drug prescription. On the contrary, consumers may dismiss a physician’s prescription and treatment plan if they feel knowledgeable and competent about their medical needs. Moreover, consumers’ perceptions of the value of the information they get from the advertisement can determine their reliance on the physician’s treatment approach. In this view, the study proposes the following hypothesis.
H2. Physician’s prescription of a drug on a patient’s medical need is primarily based on their interactions with the requested drug by the patient as well as his or her understanding of a suitable alternative regardless of information contained in the direct-to-consumer advertisement.
1.7 Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework illustrates the breakdown of all the concepts or ideas and how they relate. Besides explaining the aim of the research paper, the conceptual framework also enables the explanation of the research questions. The conceptual framework here demonstrates how physician drug prescription is influenced by direct-to-consumer advertising.
1.8 Operational Definitions
Advertising – It is the process of conveying persuasive information about a product or service to the right audience at the right time with minimal cost.
Direct to consumer –This entails the approach whereby manufacturers bypass wholesalers and retailers and sell directly to the customers.
Prescribing drugs –This refers to the process of administering the type of medical treatment for a patient.
Product promotion – Refers to the strategy of presenting the value of a product to prospective or existing customers to trigger a purchasing decision.
Consumer perception – Refers to the beliefs and opinions of customers towards a particular brand or product.
1.9 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations
During the process of collecting data for this study, various assumptions were made. One of the assumptions that was made in this study is that the respondents used to provide information for this research were honest and provided accurate information concerning the impact of direct-to-consumer advertising on physician prescription. Moreover, the researcher assumed that the sample size selected was the most suitable to provide the best results for this study.
This study will confine its results and findings in examining how Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising influences physician prescribing using parameters such as patients’ attitudes towards these advertisements, prescribing habits, and level of effort used by pharmaceutical companies towards advertising prescription drugs. The research will use various works of literature related to the parameters mentioned above up to the period ending in 2023, which is long enough to identify the fundamental forces of the research variables. The research variables to be utilized are selected based on the influence that they have on the independent variable. However, other variables in this study have a significant impact on DTC advertising, such as consumer behavior, which is influenced by the approaches used by pharmaceutical manufacturers to promote drug prescriptions.
Additionally, this utilized qualitative research to gather information and draw conclusions. The adoption of this research technique limits the number of responders in the process of data collection, which could undermine the findings of the study because the few respondents do not represent the views of all stakeholders. Moreover, the respondents that were used in this study may give information that is biased, leading to inaccurate conclusions.
1.10 Contribution to Practice or Stakeholder Groups
The knowledge obtained in the completion of this study will be vital for various stakeholders, including pharmaceutical companies, physicians, governments, and other medical researchers. The findings of the study will provide more knowledge to pharmaceutical marketing managers while creating advertisement content to ensure improved quality in the prescription of drugs. Further, the contrasting views by both supporters and opponents of DTC advertising will enable the government to revise existing policies relating to pharmaceutical marketing. The findings of the research will also be essential to other medical scholars because it adds to the existing literature about the impact of TDC advertising on the prescription of drugs. Moreover, it identifies the existing gaps that researchers can use to improve future studies.
Conclusions
This chapter aims to introduce the topic of the study and offer an overview of the study background, which highlights the focus of the research paper. It covers the history of advertising in general, as well as how it has been applied in the pharmaceutical industry. The chapter also explores how pharmaceutical companies have adopted advertising in the recent past, indicating that it has a tremendous impact on consumers as well as the prescription of drugs by physicians. Further, the chapter highlights the statement of the problem to generate the hypothesis of this study in order to establish a strong foundation for the research paper.
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