FDA wants to understand physician experiences with direct-to-consumer ads

Medpage Today: FDA To Poll Docs On Impact Of DTC Ads
The FDA will survey healthcare providers about their experience with direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising in order to assess its impact on their practice after receiving White House clearance for the program this week. The survey is a follow-up to a similar one the agency conducted in 2002 which found that one-third of physicians said they believed DTC advertising had a negative impact on their practice, while one-third said it had a positive influence, and the remaining third said it made no difference. … Researchers have long believed DTC advertising might cause adverse health outcomes when patients request prescriptions for drugs they saw on television, radio, or print ads. But DTC marketing also could impact clinicians' prescribing habits (Pittman, 4/19).