title: Content analysis of false and misleading claims in television advertising for prescription and nonprescription drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  False and misleading advertising for drugs can harm consumers and the healthcare system, and previous research has demonstrated that physician-targeted drug advertisements may be misleading. However, there is a dearth of research comparing consumer-targeted drug advertising to evidence to evaluate whether misleading or false information is being presented in these ads.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare claims in consumer-targeted television drug advertising to evidence, in order to evaluate the frequency of false or misleading television drug advertising targeted to consumers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A content analysis of a cross-section of television advertisements for prescription and nonprescription drugs aired from 2008 through 2010. We analyzed commercial segments containing prescription and nonprescription drug advertisements randomly selected from the Vanderbilt Television News Archive, a census of national news broadcasts.
  
  
  METHODS
  For each advertisement, the most-emphasized claim in each ad was identified based on claim iteration, mode of communication, duration and placement. This claim was then compared to evidence by trained coders, and categorized as being objectively true, potentially misleading, or false. Potentially misleading claims omitted important information, exaggerated information, made lifestyle associations, or expressed opinions. False claims were factually false or unsubstantiated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the most emphasized claims in prescription (n = 84) and nonprescription (n = 84) drug advertisements, 33 % were objectively true, 57 % were potentially misleading and 10 % were false. In prescription drug ads, there were more objectively true claims (43 %) and fewer false claims (2 %) than in nonprescription drug ads (23 % objectively true, 7 % false). There were similar numbers of potentially misleading claims in prescription (55 %) and nonprescription (61 %) drug ads.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Potentially misleading claims are prevalent throughout consumer-targeted prescription and nonprescription drug advertising on television. These results are in conflict with proponents who argue the social value of drug advertising is found in informing consumers about drugs.
authors.affiliation: Center for Medicine and the Media, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, 35 Centerra Pl, Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA, Adrienne.e.faerber@dartmouth.edu.
authors.forename: Adrienne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Faerber
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kreling
mesh_terms: D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D054626:Consumer Health Information / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008192:Deception; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000592:standards; D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs; D013690:Television / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs; D055553:Prescription Drugs
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