Physicians' and consumer's attitude towards direct-to-consumer advertising of the pharmaceutical industry

The main purpose of the study is to examine consumers' attitudes towards direct-to-consumer advertising and, based on consumers' income, determine the effects of this type of advertising on consumers’ attitudes, differences in attitudes across income levels, and purchasing behavior. The target population of this study was doctors and consumers of leading hospitals. The sample comprises doctors and consumers. The findings of this research study reveal that the prescription is generated by the physician's positive attitude and the requested information. Survey respondents also reported that advertising and their income motivate them to take better care of their health. The researchers concluded that consumer attitude, physician attitude, and information requested do have a significant impact on prescription generation. Although some coefficients for attitude of consumers were negative, most showed positive correlations, and a positive and significant relationship among the variables was concluded. The significance of the research lies in understanding the relationship between physicians and consumers, the doctor-patient relationship, physicians’ behavior, and consumers’ behavior towards direct-to-consumer advertising.