Pharma addicted to DTC advertising...

Working as a strategy consultant for the Pharma industry open's one eyes to the dark world of DTC advertising. An excellent piece written by Ishmeal Bradley, MD.

DTC advertising, and its history with the FDA | KevinMD.com: "Coupled with the declining real power of the FDA, is a general misconception by the public of the FDA’s role in regulation. According to one study, 50% of consumers thought that DTC ads had to be pre-approved by the government; 43% believed that only drugs that were completely safe could be advertised; and 21% thought that only extremely effective drugs could be advertised to the public. These misguided beliefs and the diminishing ability of the agency to wield regulatory authority over the pharmaceutical industry can create a false sense of security in the objectivity and truthfulness of drug advertisements."