FDA leaning on restricting DTC?
Mar/13/2008 04:08 Filed in: Regulatory
Environment
The
sales rate of prescription medications slowed by more
than half in 2007 to levels not seen since the early
1960s, according to a report released Wednesday.
The report from IMS Health said the prescription market grew 3.8% in 2007 to $286.5 billion, from a growth rate of 8% in the previous year. "The U.S. pharmaceutical market experienced its lowest growth rate since 1961," said IMS Senior Vice President Murray Aitken in the report. The reasons cited for such anemic growth? Loss of branded sales to generics along with decline in sales of popular drugs because of negative publicity. A maturing Medicare drug program is also to blame for lower sales, said IMS. Prescriptions sold though Medicare accounted for 19% of total retail prescriptions, according to the report, and 65% of U.S. citizens over the age of 65 are enrolled.
There are a host of drugs in development and according to MedAd News several could be blockbusters but without DTC in the equation and states making it harder to market to health care professionals it may take longer for products to reach the critical $1 billion sales mark. This author believes that DTC advertising, when done right, can make a difference in patients lives. At its best DTC can educate and inform patients so that they can make better health choices with their physician. At its worst DTC can drive people into doctors asking for drugs they may not need. Instead of, for example, prescribing a statin for high cholesterol physicians should work with patients to change their diet and start an exercise program to get their HDL and LDL in check. It has become too easy for people to take the short path and ask for a prescription and then stop for a steak on the way home from the doctors office.
A great example of how DTC can go wrong are the recent ads for Lyrica that have been running on the nightly news almost every night. Rather then educate people about fibromyalgia, signs and symptoms, Pfizer ads talking about random pain could be applicable to anyone who experiences the aches & pain that we all face getting older. In fact in talking with my doctor this week she told me that she has seen at least 6 people asking about Lyrica when they are not candidates for the drug at all. "It's confusing people" she told me, "I'd wish they stop that damn ad".
The FDA might agree
with that and I am sure sooner or later someone in
the FDA or Congress is going to show a bunch of
really bad DTC ads as the case for pulling the plug
or restricting advertising of prescription drugs.
People should not have to suffer because of DTC
marketers incompetence and the fact that most don't
give a damn about patients.
The report from IMS Health said the prescription market grew 3.8% in 2007 to $286.5 billion, from a growth rate of 8% in the previous year. "The U.S. pharmaceutical market experienced its lowest growth rate since 1961," said IMS Senior Vice President Murray Aitken in the report. The reasons cited for such anemic growth? Loss of branded sales to generics along with decline in sales of popular drugs because of negative publicity. A maturing Medicare drug program is also to blame for lower sales, said IMS. Prescriptions sold though Medicare accounted for 19% of total retail prescriptions, according to the report, and 65% of U.S. citizens over the age of 65 are enrolled.
There are a host of drugs in development and according to MedAd News several could be blockbusters but without DTC in the equation and states making it harder to market to health care professionals it may take longer for products to reach the critical $1 billion sales mark. This author believes that DTC advertising, when done right, can make a difference in patients lives. At its best DTC can educate and inform patients so that they can make better health choices with their physician. At its worst DTC can drive people into doctors asking for drugs they may not need. Instead of, for example, prescribing a statin for high cholesterol physicians should work with patients to change their diet and start an exercise program to get their HDL and LDL in check. It has become too easy for people to take the short path and ask for a prescription and then stop for a steak on the way home from the doctors office.
A great example of how DTC can go wrong are the recent ads for Lyrica that have been running on the nightly news almost every night. Rather then educate people about fibromyalgia, signs and symptoms, Pfizer ads talking about random pain could be applicable to anyone who experiences the aches & pain that we all face getting older. In fact in talking with my doctor this week she told me that she has seen at least 6 people asking about Lyrica when they are not candidates for the drug at all. "It's confusing people" she told me, "I'd wish they stop that damn ad".
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