Pharmaceutical ads really are honest.

• Position: Medicine & Health - Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertisements

With their his-and-hers outdoor bathtubs (erectile dysfunction) and veiled references to a "growing, not going problem" (enlarged prostate), direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertisements are criticized roundly by consumer advocates, health professionals, and elected officials. Yet, two specialists on healthcare marketing consider these ads more honest than most other forms of consumer advertising and the most forthcoming type of pharmaceutical promotion.

Anthony and Dena Cox, professors at the Indiana University School of Business, Bloomington, assert that many charges against DTC pharmaceutical ads are overblown. They believe the public should be more concerned about physician-targeted marketing--such as medical journal advertising, sales calls, and distribution of drug samples. "In contrast to physician-targeted marketing, DTC appears to be an admirably direct and straightforward way of communicating with consumers," maintains Anthony Cox.

The Coxes emphasize that DTC pharmaceutical ads are unlike other forms of consumer advertising because they are subject to strict guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration. As such, they must disclose the products' most common and severe side effects--requirements that do not apply to fast-food restaurants, which otherwise might have to state that beef is known to increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.

What's more, these ads must support all product benefits claimed or even implied with rigorous scientific evidence, unlike ads for nutritional supplements, which can highlight unsubstantiated benefits as long as they mention that the claims have not been evaluated by the FDA.

The Coxes do acknowledge, however, that certain charges are, to some extent, warranted. These include:

* Downplaying drug risks, often by presenting visual elements to distract consumers. For instance, a television commercial for an antihistamine featured a kinetic buzzing bee while the announcer read risk information. The FDA issued a complaint, and the bee was grounded by the company.

* Not discussing alternatives to the advertised product. For example, ads for cholesterol-reducing drugs may not...