There is no disagreement about whether it ‘worked'. Beyond the results of the Kaiser/Harvard/USA Today poll, the ranking of top-selling drugs in the U.S. reflected those products which for which there had been heavy investment in direct-to-consumer marketing. The recent poll looks into the perceptions, behaviors, and physician responses to this issue in detail. It is very informative and confirms the fact that not only are consumers ‘listening' to the recommendation to ‘ask your doctor', but that physicians are responding to those inquiries by pulling out the prescription pad.
To paraphrase the President of the Kaiser Family Foundation, while we can't say whether this is good for patients or not, it will increase overall health care costs. Perhaps it is worth it, as patients feel that they have greater control of their health care decisions. And they may feel better that physicians are responding actively to their questions and requests. For the time being, it is unlikely that we will put the genie back in the bottle.
Both patients and physicians need to think critically about how they respond to prescription drug advertising, and whether prescribing medication remains clearly in the interest of patient health in some cases over patient satisfaction.
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