Direct‐to‐consumer pharmaceutical advertising: Potential societal impact and recommendations

Abstract The 2024 Public and Professional Relations Committee of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) was charged by the Board of Regents to summarize the potential impact of direct‐to‐consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA) on patient education, quality of care, clinical decision‐making, and medication cost and access. Despite its ubiquitous use in all forms of popular and social media in the United States, the full societal benefits and unintended consequences of DTCPA remain unknown. Although the primary purpose of DTCPA is to generate revenue for pharmaceutical manufacturers by boosting sales of prescription drugs, patients may directly or indirectly benefit from improved quality of care through increased access to and engagement with the health care team. Conversely, DTCPA may foster suboptimal medication use by promoting less appropriate prescribing or increasing drug‐related costs. Patients may also be misled or confused by the ads, and the messages may contradict those conveyed by the health care team. In late 2024, the FDA implemented new regulations aimed at improving DTCPA. The Public and Professional Relations Committee offers several DTCPA‐related recommendations that are directed at patients, health care teams, health educators, and researchers.