DTC Prescription Drug Television

AdvertisementsImpact of Distraction on Consumer Understanding of

Risk and Benefit Information

Krystina Smith, Research Analyst

The FDA conducted a study on the impact of distractions on

the perception of risk in pharmaceutical television ads

• The current FDA regulations require that DTC television ads for

prescription drugs present the most serious and frequent side effects

– Current regulations require this information to be shared in the voiceover, but it does

not have to be represented visually (via text or visual images)

• There has been concern that elements of television ads may influence

consumers’ understanding of risk information

• Because of that concern, the FDA conducted a study evaluating how

well product risks are understood

Source: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM285377.pdf

Research methodology

• Research was published by the FDA in June 2011

• Approximately 2000 consumers over the age of 40 participated

• Participants viewed a 75-second ad for Zintria, a fictitious drug, along

with other ads

• They were asked to evaluate the ads in a 20-minute online survey

Source: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM285377.pdf

Key elements of an ad were tested to determine the influence

on consumers’ understanding of risk

• Research was done to investigate how consumers’ understanding of

risk information may be influenced by

– Superimposed text

– Emotional tone of visual images

– Consistency of the visual images with risk information

Example: Superimposed text

during the presentation of risk

information.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM285377.pdf

Superimposed text and emotional tone of visual images

did not have an effect on risk comprehension

• Neither positive visual images

nor superimposed text in the

ad had any significant effect on

consumers’ ability to

understand risks

• However, positive visual

images influenced viewers’

feelings toward a product

– A more positive visual image results

in a more positive perception of the

product

Positive visual imagery in the ad does not have an effect

risk comprehension, but it does influence perception of

the product.

Source: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM285377.pdf

However, presenting text on the screen at the same time as

the voiceover had an influence on risk comprehension

• Presenting the spoken risk at the same time as text improves

understanding of the product’s major and frequent side effects

• Product benefit comprehension is not affected by the addition of the

simultaneous presentation of risks in text and audio

Source: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM285377.pdf

What does this means for pharmaceutical DTC television

advertising?

• Having the major and most common side effects written on the

screen at the same time it is being spoken helps viewers better

understand product risks

• The clear presentation of risks does not clout a viewer’s ability to

understand the product’s benefits

• All other visual elements of the ad do not have an effect on a viewer’s

comprehension of the product’s risks

Source: http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofMedicalProductsandTobacco/CDER/UCM285377.pdf