Transcript Prescription Drugs

Prescription Drugs
The Effects of the
Advertising Industry on the
Awareness & Use of
Anti-Depressant Drugs
Outline
• Introduction
• History of Anti-Depressants
• Trends
– Consumers vs. Doctors
– Marketing Trends
• Statistics
• Marketing Deconstruction
– Example 1 - Lexapro
– Example 2 - Zoloft
– Example 3 - Effexor XR
• Forecasts
• Conclusion
Introduction
•
With annual U.S. revenues of about $100 billion and worldwide revenues of $300
billion, the pharmaceutical industry is one of the largest, most powerful, and most
profitable businesses in the world, producing some of the most sophisticated marketing
and advertising anywhere
•
Rules Change
•
•
–
For years the pharmaceutical industry was allowed to market its drugs only to doctors.
–
In 1981, the drug industry proposed that the FDA allow advertising directly to consumers,
arguing the public shouldn’t be denied access to the "knowledge" provided by such marketing.
Four years later, the FDA agreed to allow "direct-to-consumer" (DTC) advertising.
Drug Marketing Reborn
–
Pharmaceutical advertising has grown to a new, pop culture-savvy level
–
Car and pharmaceutical commercials use the same hooks -- popular music, good acting and
lofty promises -- to hook consumers and reel them in. Both are almost always intended to look
"cool“ and “feel good”
–
Pharmaceutical advertisements are becoming increasingly common and increasingly effective
In this presentation, we will review the marketing tactics of the pharmaceutical industry,
and the length they will go to seduce drug consumers, and rake staggering profits
every year
History of Anti-Depressants
• Before the discovery of antidepressant drugs, depression was
commonly treated with barbiturates or shock treatment
• Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) and Tricyclic
antidepressants were the first two classes of drugs used to treat
major depression
– Iproniazid, the first modern anti-depressant, was originally developed as
an anti-tubercular drug in the early 1950's
– Imipramine, the first among the tricyclic antidepressant, was originally
developed in a search for drugs useful in the treatrement of
schizophrenia
• Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were developed to
effectively work on the symptoms of depression without the side
effects of the MAOIs or the tricyclics, such as constipation and
blurred vision.
– The first SSRI, fluoxetine (Prozac) was released in 1987
Targeting consumers vs. doctors
Why do pharmaceutical companies spend billions of dollars
on direct-to-consumer advertising when consumers can
only obtain prescriptions for these drugs through a
doctor?
Doctors prescribe whatever the patient names
"Surveys reveal that when a patient comes into a doctor's
office and requests a specific drug that he has seen
advertised in the media, the doctor writes the exact
prescription the patient requested more than 70 percent
of the time!"
Pharmaceutical companies are in business to make money
Their goal: “The pursuit for maximum profit”
Marketing trends
• In the 1990s, direct-to-consumer advertising increased at
a compounded-annually rate of 30 percent
• From 1996 to 2000, totals rose from $791 million to nearly
$2.5 billion
• Between 1999 and 2000, prescriptions for the 50 most
heavily advertised drugs rose six times faster than
prescriptions for all other drugs
• In 2000, $2.5 billion was spent on direct-to-consumer
advertising. This number increased to over $3 billion in
2003
• Pharmaceutical companies spend more on advertising
than they spend in research and development of products
Statistics
•
Expenditures for prescription drugs is growing faster than any other major healthcare
sector. Americans are expected to spend over $500 billion on drugs this year
•
Prescription drugs account for 11% of total U.S. health care spending in 2002 and
was a whopping $200.7 billion in 2005, almost 5 times more than the $40.3 billion
spent in 1990
•
Antidepressant use has risen rapidly in most developed countries, driven by
increased awareness of depression, and the availability and promotion of new
antidepressant drugs
•
The average number of prescriptions per person in the United States increased from
7.3 in 1992 to 10.4 in 2000
•
In 2006, nearly 25 million American adults were estimated to have experienced
severe psychological distress
•
16 million American adults, or 7.2 percent of the population, reported experiencing a
major depressive episode during the year prior
•
According to Wikipedia, a 2007 study purports that 25% of Americans were overdiagnosed with depression
Marketing Deconstruction
Example #1 - Lexapro
From Forest Laboratories™the manufacturers of Lexapro® and Celexa®
•
Target Audience
Individuals, especially women, and doctors who may be prescribing
antidepressant medications
•
Ad’s purpose
To educate current individuals currently taking Celexa about a more effective
and popular choice for a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI)
antidepressant called Lexapro
•
What is implied
The reference and comparisons to Celexa (Lexapro’s predecessor), implies
that audience is educated and informed about the drugs
•
Claims
The ad claims that Lexapro is the fastest growing SSRI in the US and is
prescribed to over 13 million patients in the US.
•
Subtext or hidden story
-No mention of side effects
-No mention that it could take up to 6 to 8 weeks of treatment before seeing
results.
-No mention that this medication may not work for everyone
Fowles Basic Appeals
• Need for affiliation – Illustrates two women confiding in
each other. This especially plays on an individual’s
fear of loneliness; which is likely a more susceptible
fear in people diagnosed with depression.
• Need for aesthetic sensations – Displays women
dressed in bright pastel colors. They are the focus of
the advertisement with the background in less
focus. The water that one woman is drinking and the
salads on the table both look refreshing.
• Need to satisfy curiosity – Exhibits a variety of
information including statistics, comparisons to other
antidepressants, and safety information.
Use of Color
• Yellow (worn by woman)– is associated with
happiness, cheerful feelings, joy, intellect, and energy.
• Light Blue (worn by woman)– is associated with
healing, health, tranquility and softness. Blue is
considered beneficial to the mind and body.
• Dark Red logo – brings text and images to the
foreground. It simulates people to want to make quick
decisions.
• In addition, the logo makes use of similar shades of
yellow and light blue as worn by the women.
Marketing Deconstruction
Example #2- Zoloft
Zoloft
Zoloft
•
Target Audience
Any person who is experiencing symptoms of depression. This ad may
appeal to a broad range of ages, from teens to older adults
•
Ad’s purpose
To bring awareness about “Zoloft” in a simplified way by making use of
animation. Also, to reinforce brand recognition
•
What is implied
Indirectly, the maker of this ad wants to communicate to its audience that
more information on Zoloft is available on the internet
•
Claims
This ad claims that Zoloft is the #1 prescribed medication for depression
and anxiety
•
Subtext or hidden story
-No mention of side effects or any implication that may come about by
using this medication
-No mention that it could take several weeks of treatment before seeing
results
-No mention that this medication may not work for everyone
Fowles basic appeals
• Need to nurture- By showing a cute, fragilelooking character, the reader is touched by a
need to nurture, to care
• Need for reassurance-By showing a doctor in
this ad attesting that “Zoloft has helped millions
with depression” one can feel very positive of the
medications’ effectiveness
• Need to satisfy curiosity-It is implied by this ad
that more information about Zoloft is available
online. Thus, this ad drives its audience to the
product’s website
Use of color
The colors used in this ad are:
• White- In advertising, white is associated with coolness
and cleanliness. It is used to suggest simplicity in high-tech
products, and safety when promoting medical products
• Yellow (background)– is associated with happiness,
cheerful feelings, joy, intellect, and energy
• Light Blue (background at the doctor’s office)- is
associated with healing, health, tranquility and
softness. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and
body. Light blue symbolizes that Zoloft is a healing
medicine
Marketing Deconstruction
Example #3- Effexor XR
• Ad description: This advertisement features a smiling
woman looking directly at the reader. The ad also displays
text highlighting a myth, reality, and general health
information regarding the antidepressant Effexor XR
• Target Audience: Adult individuals, especially
women. Given that this advertisement was taken from the
magazine Psychology Today, it likely also targets
psychology students, psychiatrists, and doctors
• Ad's purpose: To inform readers who feel they may be
suffering from depression that they have options about
their treatment – most notably the prescription, Effexor XR
• What is implied: The reader deserves a change (text: "the
change you deserve"); notably to be happy like the woman
portrayed and not depressed
• Subtext or hidden story: The advertisement lists that its
readers have options, yet it only mentions one – Effexor
XR prescription medication. It fails to mention that Effexor
XR might not work for everyone
Fowles Basic Appeals
• Need for aesthetic sensations: By displaying a
woman with perfect facial features – her hair is
beautifully done, her smile is symmetrical, and
her skin is flawless – this advertisement appeals
to the audience’s aesthetic sensations
• Need to satisfy curiosity: This advertisement
features text displaying a myth and a reality, in
large bold letters at the top of the page. This
appeals to people's desire for tidbits of trivial
information
Use of color
• Dark Red (text) – Red is a very emotionally
intense color; often used to stimulate people to
make quick decisions. The word "myth" is
written in red to represent danger
• Yellow (text) – Yellow is often used to convey
feelings of joy and happiness. In this
advertisement, the word "reality" is written in this
color: to represent hope and optimism
• Green (background) – The background of this
advertisement is green. This color is often
associated with safety, stability, and endurance.
It reassures the audience that the product is
safe.
Forecast
• Globally, the antidepressant market has seen extraordinary
growth over the last decade. But, with few entrants, and a flood
of patent expiries by 2009, the dynamics of this $16.9 billion
market are set to undergo a major change
• Brand name antidepressant drugs are being challenged by their
generic counterparts who are about 50-60% cheaper
– Fluoxetine, the generic version of Prozac, became available in
2001 and cost about 14 cents a pill as oppose to $2.22 for Prozac
• Since FDA warnings were issued, antidepressant prescription
for children and teens has dropped dramatically making this
drug market more vulnerable
• For these reasons, antidepressant sales are expected to
decrease by 21.5% to $13.5 billion by 2011
Conclusion

The pharmaceutical industry has become one of the most profitable businesses in
the world
 Direct to consumer marketing has enabled an explosion in pharmaceutical
revenue
 $300 billion world wide revenues
 Savvy marketing tactics are a pillar to the industries success, equal in scale to
R&D
 Marketing is geared to allure consumers by playing with their fears, emotions,
and vulnerabilities

Consumers beware
 Direct-to-consumer advertising is largely responsible for over-medication of
prescription drugs
 Pharmaceuticals are responsible for 100,000 deaths/year; 750,000/ year if you
include malpractice
 Deep pockets of the pharmaceutical industry influence scientists and
academics through support of medical research, medical schools, and
hospitals creating interlocking interests

What to do
 Become more informed about pharmaceutical companies’ marketing tactics
 Be cautious of where we seek our information. Many informational websites
are funded by these big giant companies.
 Advice: It’s always good to get a second opinion …. and always, listen to your
mom!
Resources
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
http://www.celexa.com/
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2005-05-31-drugs-adsside_x.htm
http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
[1] Prescription Drug Trends Fact Sheet - May 2007 Update
http://www.kff.org/rxdrugs/3057.cfm
[1] Prescription News http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/42/20/10-a
[1] The Daily Texan Online
http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2007/06/29/O
pinion/Depressing.Our.Prescription.Dependency-2919772.shtml
[1] Katharine Greider's book, The Big Fix
[1] Commercial Insight: Antidepressants - Sliding SSRI Revenues Inevitable,
Published February 2004
http://www.bio.com/store/product.jhtml;jsessionid=QBJPLUSUINB33R3FQLM
CFEWHUWBNSIV0?id=prod1960009
[1] Wellmark, BlueCross BlueSheild; Generic Findings Report;
http://www.wellmark.com/health_improvement/reports/antidepressants/generic_findi
ngs.htm
http://www.newstarget.com/010315.html