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By Melody Petersen
The 50 most-advertised prescription medicines contributed significantly last year to the increase in the nation's spending on drugs.
The report was prepared by the National Institute for Health Care Management, a nonprofit research foundation that was founded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plans.
Increases in the sales of the 50 drugs that were most heavily advertised to consumers accounted for almost half the $20.8 billion increase in drug spending last year, according to the study. The remainder of the spending increase came from 9,850 prescription medicines that companies did not advertise or advertised very little.
The study attributed the spending increase to a boost in the number of prescriptions for the 50 drugs, and not from a rise in their price.
Only the United States and New Zealand permit advertising of prescription medicines to consumers. The advertising has grown more controversial as both the number of ads and spending on prescription drugs continue to rise.
The Food and Drug Administration is now reviewing whether it should change rules it enacted in 1997 that made it easier for pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products on television.
Among the other reasons for increased spending, the study said, are an aging population, newer drugs that are more expensive than older medicines and an increased use of drugs for chronic conditions like asthma or heart disease that involve taking medicines over long periods.
According to the study, Vioxx, an arthritis drug sold by Merck & Company, was the most-heavily advertised prescription drug and also accounted for more of last year's increased drug spending than any other single drug.
Merck spent $160.8 million to promote Vioxx to consumers - more than PepsiCo (news/quote) spent to advertise Pepsi or Budweiser spent to advertise its beer, the study said. With the help of the advertising, Vioxx sales quadrupled to $1.5 billion last year from about $330 million in 1999.
Celebrex, another arthritis drug, which is locked in a marketing battle with Vioxx, was the seventh most widely promoted drug to consumers and was the fourth-largest contributor to drug sales growth last year.
Other heavily advertised drugs contributing to the rise in drug sales are the cholesterol-lowering drugs, Lipitor, Zocor and Pravachol; as well as Paxil and Prozac, for depression; Claritin, Allegra and Zyrtec for allergies; and Prilosec for ulcers.
Over all, consumer drug advertising rose 35 percent last year, to $2.5 billion from $1.8 billion in 1999, according to the study. Two of the biggest drug companies, Merck and Pfizer, increased their advertising much more than the industry average. Merck's total spending on consumer advertising increased 118 percent, the study said, while Pfizer's spending almost doubled.
GlaxoSmithKline, the British drug company, spent more on consumer advertising than any other company. It spent $417 million on advertising last year - an increase of 40 percent.
New York Times November 21, 2001
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