ProCon.org   1   Pros of Prescription Drugs

• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug ads encourage people to seek medical advice from health professionals.
• DTC prescription drug ads inform patients about diseases/medical conditions and possible treatments. 

ProCon.org   2   Pros of Prescription Drugs

• DTC prescription drug ads encourage patient compliance with treatment instructions.
• Diseases and medical conditions are more likely to be treated when consumers see DTC prescription drug ads.
• DTC prescription drug ads help remove the stigma associated with certain diseases and medical conditions. 

ProCon.org   3   Pros of Prescription Drugs

• DTC prescription drug ads create revenue for pharmaceutical companies, which can be used for research & development (R&D) to create new life-changing drugs.
• DTC prescription drug ads should be allowed as protected free speech.
• Drug development is expensive so pharmaceutical companies need to recoup that expense through advertising.

ProCon.org   4   Pros of Prescription Drugs

• According to a 2004 FDA survey, 88% of the physicians who had patients ask about drugs seen in DTC ads reported that the patients had the conditions the drugs treat and were thus able to get treatment.
• In 2012, the pharmaceutical industry spent $3.1 billion on direct-to-consumer advertising.

ProCon.org   4   Pros of Prescription Drugs

• Revenue is needed to recoup R&D costs before generic drugs enter the marketplace and lower the prescription drugs’ retail prices. 
• Doctors, hospitals, medical device makers, insurance companies and all types of health care-related companies can advertise their products.

ProCon.org   1   Cons of Prescription Drugs

• Direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug ads misinform patients. 63% of physicians surveyed in Apr. 
• 2013 believed DTC prescription drug ads misinformed patients and 74% of physicians believed DTC prescription drug ads overemphasized the benefits of the drugs, resulting in misinformed patients. 

ProCon.org   2  Cons of Prescription Drugs

• DTC prescription drug ads promote drugs before long-term safety information is known. 
• A Sep. 2006 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report recommended that DTC advertising be banned for new drugs for two years.

ProCon.org   3  Cons of Prescription Drugs

• Normal conditions and bodily functions are medicalized and stigmatized by DTC prescription drug ads.
•  DTC prescription drug ads tell consumers that normal attributes, such as thinner eyelashes, or normal aging processes, such as lower testosterone levels and wrinkles, are medical conditions that need to be remedied with drugs.

 ProCon.org   4  Cons of Prescription Drugs

• DTC prescription drug ads tend to emphasize that drugs are needed to improve health, but not that health can be improved through behavior modification like diet or exercise.
• Health care professionals may feel pressured by DTC prescription drug ads to prescribe drugs that may not be in the best interest of the patient. 

 ProCon.org   5  Cons of Prescription Drugs

• DTC prescription drug ads weaken relationships between patients and healthcare providers.
• 80% of doctors surveyed in Apr. 2013 thought DTC prescription drug ads weakened doctor-patient relationships.