Direct To Consumer Pharmaceutical Ads w/Belinda Castles

New Zealand and the United States are the only two countries in the world that allow pharmaceutical companies to advertise their products directly to consumers.

The question of banning pharmaceutical advertising in New Zealand isn’t new. In 2019, there were renewed calls for the Therapeutic Medicines Bill to be toughened with these measures being driven by.. 

At the time, a Consumer New Zealand survey indicated that 57% of kiwis favour an independent health info service that provides advice on treatment options over medicine advertising.

Those stats also reveal that 8% of those surveyed believed that said ads provided unbiased and comprehensive information about treatments.

And 15% of surveyors also said a ban is unnecessary.

This interview with Consumer NZ Research and Test Writer Belinda Castles is part of a larger story on Direct To Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertising in New Zealand