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Medical companies spend $4 billion annually on (DTC) direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Are you influenced by patients who ask for prescriptions for products they have seen advertised on TV, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet?
#Response DateOther (please specify)
1.1/30/2008 1:24:00 PMIt sometimes makes it hard to get them to accept a less expensive medication that would do the same job
2.1/30/2008 2:10:00 PMNo, but takes extra time to tell patients why advertized drug may not be appropriate
3.1/30/2008 2:26:00 PMThis is an absolute case of stupidity run amuk
4.1/30/2008 3:19:00 PMOften this is more a bother than a help.
5.1/30/2008 3:47:00 PMPharma companies increased DTC advertising in inverse proportion to decreasing advertising to MDs and will continue to do so in response to further restrictions on relations with MDs
6.1/30/2008 3:54:00 PMNot influenced, but it wastes my time
7.1/30/2008 4:17:00 PMThe ads prompt patient's questions that are irrelevant to their care.
8.1/30/2008 4:20:00 PMI am not a prescibing physician but I think direct advertising has caused serious problems for the health care system.Unavailibility
9.1/30/2008 5:27:00 PMvery rarely
10.1/30/2008 6:02:00 PMNot relevant
11.1/30/2008 6:31:00 PMNo
12.1/30/2008 7:40:00 PMInfluenced is probably too strong a word. Inconvenienced is more appropriate - taking time to explain why they don't need a particular drug.
13.1/30/2008 7:50:00 PMI hate it.
14.1/30/2008 10:37:00 PMI am strongly opposed to DTC. I think it is wasteful, increases the cost of products, and confuses the public.
15.1/30/2008 11:22:00 PMI am certainly forced to take time to answer questions about such marketing and its effects.
16.1/31/2008 2:49:00 AMto a limited extent
17.1/31/2008 4:05:00 PMSome times
18.1/31/2008 7:01:00 PMnot really part of emergency medicine practice
19.1/31/2008 7:11:00 PMthey come in with requests for meds they don't need, for an illness they diagnosed in themselves via drug ads.
20.1/31/2008 9:27:00 PMonly if I would have given them that Rx anyway
21.1/31/2008 9:29:00 PMi have to be because of many obvious reasons
22.2/1/2008 8:40:00 PMNot that often, but yes, the tone of an office visit may be very influenced by DTC marketing!
23.2/2/2008 2:23:00 AMPatients come in asking for a specific med or treatment but that does not influence me if not indicated
24.2/2/2008 6:12:00 AMNo, but I'm sure others docs are, esp in primary care where docs may not realize which drugs are gimics and therefore I think direct advetising to patients is wrong
25.2/4/2008 7:58:00 PMnot usually
26.2/7/2008 1:57:00 AMSlightly