The Impact of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs on Health Outcomes and Healthcare Use
Abstract
This paper examines the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs (DTCA) by pharmaceutical companies on self-reported health status and healthcare use in the United States. In this paper, I cover the potential (theory-based) effects of DTCA, the observed effects of DTCA, and conduct a preliminary study of the effects of DTCA on health outcomes and healthcare use in the United States. My key finding is that there may be a correlation between increased DTCA and an individual’s likelihood to have visited a doctor in the past year. This implies that the effects of DTCA may be broader than previously thought. Policy makers should thus consider regulating DTCA more strictly.
This paper has been withdrawn.
