Effects of media exposure in direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs, patient demand and patient satisfaction

Direct-to-Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs is one of today's most controversial marketing techniques employed by pharmaceutical companies. DTCA is the promotion of prescription drugs through newspaper, magazine, television and internet marketing. The objectives of this study were to add to the small but growing body of empirical literature on DTCA of prescription drugs, understand the influence of media exposure of DTCA prescription drugs on patient health outcomes, and further describe the effects DTCA has on the public health of U.S. consumers. Specifically, the study explored the health determinants of patient demand, whether people with higher levels of exposure to media are more likely to have increased patient demand compared to those with lower levels of exposure to media, and whether people with a higher level of exposure to media are more likely to have patient demand given their health insurance status. Finally, the study explored whether, among patients who demanded DTCA prescription drugs, higher levels of media exposure were associated with patient satisfaction, adjusting for adverse drug events and health related quality of life, socio-demographic variables, and health status. Multivariate statistical analyses were conducted using logistic regression models to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Health insurance status was analyzed as a potential interaction variable on the relationship between media exposure, patient demand, and patient satisfaction. Results from the analysis show that patients who reported having exposure to DTCA of prescription drugs via medium media exposure and high media exposure are 1.5 times (OR= 1.53; 95% 1.11, 3.48) and 2.3 times (OR=2.32; 95%CI= 0.95,2.78) significantly (p<0.001) more likely to have patient demand compared to those having low media exposure. Finally, the results show that patients reporting having been exposed to DTCA prescription drugs via media exposure (medium exposure) are about 2.1 times (OR=2.14; 95% CI=1.08, 4.22 ) significantly (p<0.05) more likely to have patient satisfaction as compared to low media exposure after controlling for socio-demographic variables, adverse drug events, and health related quality of life. Overall, the results of this study suggest that DTCA elicits demand behaviors and highlight the need for continued research on DTCA of prescription drugs and patient health outcomes.