Summaries of Must-Read Clinical Literature, Guidelines, and FDA Actions
Medical marketing spending increased exponentially
Schwartz LM et al. JAMA. 2019 Jan 8. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.19320
Key clinical point: Medical marketing spending – especially on direct-to-consumer advertising for drugs and health services – increased exponentially over the last 2 decades.
Major finding: From 1997 through 2016, spending on medical marketing of drugs, disease awareness campaigns, health services, and laboratory testing increased from $17.7 to $29.9 billion.
Study details: An analysis of consumer advertising and professional marketing data, along with a review of regulations and legal actions undertaken by U.S. federal agencies.
Disclosures: The two coauthors previously served as medical experts in testosterone litigation and were cofounders of a company that provided data about the benefits and harms of prescription drugs, which ceased operations in December 2016. No other conflicts of interest were reported.
Schwartz LM et al. JAMA. 2019 Jan 8. doi: 10.1001/jama.2018.19320.