Finnish physicians show little support for consumer advertising of prescription drugs.
OBJECTIVE
To study Finnish physicians' opinions of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs (DTCA) and other drug information sources for patients.


METHODS
A survey was sent to all working-aged physicians (n=16,698; response rate 85%).


RESULTS
Almost all physicians were against full DTCA, but half would allow advertising indirectly via patients organisations or healthcare units; 18% were against all types of DTCA. Thirty-six percent generally considered drug advertisements to patients and consumers to be harmful or useless.


CONCLUSIONS
Further discussion of DTCA and other means of disseminating drug information are needed.
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health STAKES, Health and Social Services, Helsinki, Finland. hanna.toiviainen@stakes.fi
Hanna
H
Toivianen
Lauri
L
Vuorenkoski
Elina
E
Hemminki
D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003625:Data Collection; D004346:Drug Information Services; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations