While the United States has pioneered the use of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs, this topic is being discussed and considered by policymakers in Europe and many other countries.These countries are looking at the United States and the impact of DTCA there before deciding on whether, how and when to allow DTCA in their countries. This movement is being fuelled by the Internet, which - unlike traditional media advertising - knows few international boundaries. The research presented in this paper examines consumers' and physicians' perceptions of and experiences with pharmaceutical advertising, and its impact on patient-physician relations and patient health.
This paper is concerned with the rapid growth of survey research on public policy issues commissioned for the private use of companies and corporate management during the 1970's. It discusses the reasons for this growth (which has taken place mainly, but not only, in the United States), the reasons why companies are spending more and more money for this type of research, and the different ways in which the survey findings have been used.