AMC/NOMA Weighs in on DTC Prescription Advertising |
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In a radio interview on WCPN's 90.3 at 9 morning news program Wednesday, President George Kikano MD provided a practicing physician's perspective on the increasing prevalence of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of name brand prescription drugs and the impact such is having on the physician-patient relationship. Several of the other guests and many callers from the community expressed their concerns on the issue, including the exponential increase in DTC advertising in recent years since the FDA relaxed its regulatory rules on the matter in 1997. Dr. Kikano commented that while a well-informed patient is welcome, often there is a disconnect between the information available to them and what might actually be the most appropriate treatment option for that individual. "It's a double-edged sword," he said. He informed listeners that the AMC/NOMA had recently written to the FDA on the related issue of making drug missives to physicians more accessible and streamlined for the busy practitioner to sift through. Much discussion was critical of the billions in profits realized by the major drug companies and their disproportionate spending on R&D versus retail advertising. Dr. Kikano concluded the interview session by reiterating that while so much information is now available to both patients and their physicians, together they can determine what medication, be it brand name or a more cost-effective generic, will work best. "At the end of the day, you have to trust your physician," he said. |
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