Use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising by pharmaceutical manufacturers has
skyrocketed in the past few decades as patients demand more information on drugs and
the FDA has gotten more relaxed in its regulation of such marketing. In particular,
television advertisements for prescription drugs for chronic conditions have dramatically
increased. This paper will analyze the use of DTC advertising for prescription drugs for
Alzheimer’s disease, a debilitating disease which can last for more than a decade before it
leads to death. The paper will start with a history of DTC advertising and the FDA’s
regulation of such advertisements. It will then proceed to analyze issues of DTC
advertising which are particularly pertinent for Alzheimer’s disease, with an in-depth
look at Aricept, one FDA-approved drug for Alzheimer’s. The paper will conclude with
suggestions for further studies in the area and a number of proposals for reform.
