ABSTRACT
Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs arguably functions to provide with information about medical conditions and treatment options. DTCA has sparked heated debate regarding its influence on physician-patient communication and thus on relationships with physicians. Educated patients are better enabled to act as informed decision makers and may be more likely to comply with physicians' recommendations. A marketing strategy by which the pharmaceutical industry promotes prescription drugs directly to consumers. The underlying premise of DTCA's influence is that features of the advertisements encourage a more active patient role by suggesting new social norms and training consumers to interact more actively with doctors. The physicians' debate and the several cases involving patients reflect the potential for DTCA to influence the physician-patient relationship and their communication. A model of the physician-patient relationship in which the patient takes a business orientation and holds the primary decision-making authority; the doctor's role consists of an expert being consulted by the patient.
