According to a recent notice in the Federal Register, FDA's Office of Prescription Drug Promotion wants to examine how the public absorbs risk information in repeat television ads for prescription medicines. In the notice, FDA notes that increased exposure to risk information in the ads through repetition may improve "attitudes and recall for product attributes, particularly when the substance of the repeat messages is varied." Using a group of participants diagnosed with seasonal allergies, FDA plans to determine empirically how consumers perceive and process the risk and benefit information, assessing perception, memory, judgments about the ad, and intentions to use the medication advertised. According to FDA, it chose drugs targeting allergy sufferers because the risks associated with those products are typical in number and include a range of side effects, including serious risks.
Another recent Federal Register notice indicates FDA is also interested in the influence a spouse has on the patient-consumer's understanding of and response to advertising for prescription drugs aimed at the consumer. The study will look at empirical data to evaluate the differences between consumers viewing prescription drug ads with a spouse or partner versus alone.
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