The latest from DTC Perspectives

DTC and Retention

DTC is almost always used for awareness building. Pfizer is now using it to maintain current users on Lipitor. A radio spot explicitly fights back against plans trying to switch patients on Lipitor to generic statins. I admire Pfizer’s fighting spirit. They say that if you are doing well on Lipitor there is no generic equivalent. There is tremendous pressure from plans to switch patients to generic Zocor or Pravachol. Lipitor only has two years left on its patent and will fight to keep sales until the last day.

There are those who argue DTC has no place in medical decisions. Better, the critics say, to leave the decision entirely to doctors. If they were the only ones making decisions then I would agree. The reality in American medicine is different. Managed care and PBM's get paid to reduce cost. They pressure doctors to prescribe cheaper drugs. Employers pressure their plan administrators to lower drug bills. Government pressures doctors to reduce Rx costs. So, is your doctor always doing what is best for you?

DTC is one of many subjective sources of information. It is biased because it is promoting a particular brand as does all advertising. DTC, however, is needed to balance the "cheaper is better" mantra from insurance companies. Doctors are caught in the middle.  Consumers want the latest, and often more expensive drugs. In some cases the new branded drugs are no better than generics or OTC alternatives. In other cases they are better. Pfizer's retention ad is a way to balance the generic advocates.

Consumers have a right to know whether they are being cajoled to switch drugs for price reasons. As I said before, there is nothing wrong with hearing about alternative therapies that may be cheaper for patients and plans. Drug reactions and benefits are sometimes quirky so it is a big deal to switch a patient doing well on a drug to another so-called equivalent. Pfizer has every right to use DTC to alert patients to the practice of switching for cost savings that save plans money and their new spot is a good investment.