Trial reportTherapeutic innovation & regulatory science2025
Consumer Understanding of Prescription Drug Indications in Direct-to-Consumer Television Advertisements.
Trial report in Therapeutic innovation & regulatory science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrescription drugs may be indicated to treat more than one medical condition, and companies may promote more than one indication in the same direct-to-consumer (DTC) ad. This study examined how presenting multiple prescription drug indications in one DTC television ad affects consumers' processing of drug information.
methodsWe conducted two studies with adults diagnosed with diabetes (Study 1, N = 408) or rheumatoid arthritis (Study 2, N = 411). We randomly assigned participants to view one of three television ads: primary indication only (Study 1: diabetic peripheral neuropathy; Study 2: rheumatoid arthritis), primary plus a similar secondary indication (Study 1: fibromyalgia; Study 2: psoriatic arthritis), or primary plus a dissimilar secondary indication (Study 1: generalized anxiety disorder; Study 2: ulcerative colitis).
resultsRemembering and understanding the primary indication was not significantly affected by the presence of a secondary indication (similar or dissimilar). Higher health literacy participants remembered and understood secondary indications.
conclusionsIncluding a second indication in DTC television ads does not appear to have detrimental effects and can increase awareness of the second indication for some participants. Industry and regulators should continue to ensure DTC promotion is truthful and non-misleading, irrespective of the number of indications presented.
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