CANADIANS WANT DRUG ADS
By Adnews Staff
Most Canadians think prescription drugs should be advertised to consumers, according to a poll funded by COMPAS Inc. Sixty per cent of the respondents strongly or moderately agreed that drug firms should be allowed to advertise directly to the public. Thirty-nine per cent either strongly or moderately opposed the idea. Seventy-five per cent of respondents said there is a lack of access to information about prescription drugs, and that they rely almost solely on doctors and pharmacists for drug information. Most also said industry self-regulation would ensure the accuracy and truthfulness of ads. Despite the generally positive nature of the responses, there were also deep divisions of opinion on whether prescription drugs should be advertised. Thirty-nine per cent of women said they had strong opinions. Of those, 20% were strongly against it, while 19% were strongly in favor. Forty-one per cent of men had strong opinions. Of those, 22% were in favor and 19% disagreed. COMPAS polled 2,600 Canadians in late April. In Canada all direct-to-consumer prescription medication ads were banned until 1978, when the rules were changed, allowing in-store ads with the drug name, price and quantities available to help consumers shop for the best value.