Pros And Cons Of Prescription Drug Advertising

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As one of the fastest-growing components in the US health care market, prescription drugs command much attention.
Spending on prescription drugs exceeded $150 billion in
2001, which is almost twice $79 billion spent in 1997
(National Institute for Health Care Management, 2002). In
2001, the industry spent more than $19.1 billion in promotional activities. The spending for direct-to-consumer
(DTC) drug advertising increased from $1.1 billion in 1997 to about $2.7 billion in 2001, which is as dramatic as the increase in drug companies’ spending on research and development (R&D), from $19 billion to $30.3 billion (US
General Accounting Office, 2002).
Following a public hearing and debate in 1997, the FDA issued a proposal for new guidelines on