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Posting date: April 28, 2004 Copyright © 2004 by Project HOPE
Perspective: Direct-To-Consumer Drug Advertising: You Get What You Pay For
1 Jim Jeffords (I-VT) is currently serving his third term in the United States Senate. He chaired the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee from 2001 to 2002 and now serves as the committee’s Ranking Member. Jeffords also is a member of the Finance Committee; Veterans’ Affairs Committee; Special Committee on Aging; and Health, Education, Labor; and Pensions Committee, which he chaired from 1997 to 2001.
*Corresponding author.
Between 1997 and 2001 spending on direct-to-consumer (DTC) drug advertising more than doubled. Opinions differ as to whether and to what extent DTC advertising benefits the doctor-patient relationship. Some analysts argue that the current regulatory regime is sufficient, others advocate a stricter enforcement, and still others promote an outright ban. An alternative may be to use the purchasing power of the federal government to require the inclusion of comparative quality data, thus creating a basis for more informed consumer choice. This approach could create incentives for the pharmaceutical industry to adjust spending on DTC advertising while avoiding "big government" interference with commercial free speech. Key Words: Consumer Issues, Legal/Regulatory Issues, Media, Pharmaceuticals, Ethical Issues, Health Spending
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