Influence of Otc Analgesics Advertising On Patients and Pharmacists

www.wjpps.com Vol 3 Issue 2 2014.
813

Valentina et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

INFLUENCE OF OTC ANALGESICS ADVERTISING ON
PATIENTS AND PHARMACISTS

SlavaPetrova, Nikolay Mateev, *Valentina Petkova, MilenDimitrov, ManoelaManova,
GuenkaPetrova

Medical University of Sofia, Faculty of Pharmacy, 2 Dunav Str., Sofia, Bulgaria

ABSTRACT
The objective of the current study is to evaluate the influence of the
OTC analgesics advertising on patients and pharmacists. Documents
analysis was applied towards the permissions for OTC medicines
advertisement by national medicines agency during March- June 2013.
Inquiry research was performed with 50 pharmacists and 290 of their
patients, which purchase analgesics. Only 67% of patients
confirm that they are influenced in some extend by the
advertisement and it is mostly reminding or intriguing (70%), and that
the TV advertisement is more attractive (75%). Patients claim that only
sometime they buy advertised medicines (59%). For 25% the effect of
advertising is not longstanding and ends quickly (26%). Nevertheless
80% of questioned consider advertising campaigns as useful and informative. The TV
advertising is stronger influencer for 94% of questioned pharmacistsand 88% considers that
the medicine is also influencing the effect of the advertising. The advertisement effect on
customer continues till its end for 46%, but 26%considers that the effect is longer. The
advertisement of medicines is influencing the self-medication according to 94% of the
pharmacists. Patients are not always fully convinced and 44% ask for additional consultation
with pharmacists and only 24% are buying medicines directly without any need for additional
information. The OTC analgesics advertising influences the peoples and pharmacists
behavior and increase the sales data in greater extent than people realize.

Key words: OTC advertising, Analgesics advertising, OTC regulation.

W WO OR RL LD D J JO OU UR RN NA AL L O OF F P PH HA AR RM MA AC CY Y A AN ND D P PH HA AR RM MA AC CE EU UT TI IC CA AL L S SC CI IE EN NC CE ES S
V Vo ol lu um me e 3 3, , I Is ss su ue e 2 2, , 8 81 13 3- -8 82 24 4. . R Re es se ea ar rc ch h A Ar rt ti ic cl le e I IS SS SN N 2278 4357
Article Received on
29 October 2013,
Revised on 12 December
2013,
Accepted on 06 January
2014
*Correspondence for
Author:
Valentina Petkova
Medical University of Sofia,
Faculty of Pharmacy, 2 Dunav
Str., Sofia, Bulgaria.


814

INTRODUCTION
Self-medication can be defined as application of medicines that are recommended by the
pharmacists, or chosen by patients by themselves. It is applied to treat acute diseases with
easily recognized symptoms by the patients
[1,2]
. Self-medication is supported by the financing
institutions and industry due to the possibility to advertise OTC medicines directly to the
public
[3]
. Advertising of medicines is regulated by the European legislation, including the
places of advertising, way of distribution, advertising channels, customers, and advertising
materials
[4]
. OTC analgesics are non-prescription medicines, for which the direct to public
advertisement is permitted by the European legislation through TV channels, mass media,
radio, leaflets etc. Target groups are patients and pharmacists that recommend to patients a
specific OTC analgesic
[5-7]
.

Studies of the time and intensity of advertising influence on the customers help
manufacturers to plan the frequency and number of advertising messages and necessary
investments
[5, 8, 9]
. It is also important to understand the way how the advertisement changes
the sales of OTC products, which are well known and used for many years by people
[10, 11]
.
This formulates our interest towards the topic.

The objective of the current study is to evaluate the influence of the OTC analgesics
advertising on patients and pharmacists.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Document analysis
The new OTC medicines advertisement issued by national drug agency during the period
March- June 2013 were studied through different sources mass media advertisement, TV
advertisement and radio advertisement. The advertised OTC analgesics, time of advertising,
and type of advertisement channel were extracted out of them.

Inquiry research
Inquiry research was performed with 50 pharmacists and 290 of their patients, which
purchase analgesics. Pharmacies were randomly chosen.The inquiry aimed to
understand the influence of the advertising on the OTC analgesics purchases and economic
characteristics of pharmacies.


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Questionnaires focus on the patients and pharmacists characteristics, their opinion about the
advertising influence, time and length of influence, advertising channel that strongly
influence patients and pharmacists opinion. The pharmacists questionnaire also include
question about the advertised OTC analgesics that were newly approved. Those questions
focused on the changes in sales data for advertised analgesics and the time of their impact on
sales data.

Statistical analysis
Descriptive statistics was applied towards the patients and pharmacists characteristics.
Correlation analysis was also applied to evaluate the relation among the characteristics of the
patients, pharmacists and time and way of advertising, as well as the sales of advertised OTC
analgesics. Statistical package of SPSS ver. 21 was used.

RESULTS
According to the Bulgarian Drug Law the Advertising committee at the National drug agency
is approving the advertising materials after careful evaluation of the objectivity, lack of
deceive messages, clarity and presence of obligatory data. The basis of evaluation is the
information from the Short Product Characteristics. After the expertise by the advertising
committee a permission for advertising is issued that is valid till the validity of marketing
authorization.

On Table 1 are presented the issued permissions during March- June 2013 for advertising of
medicinal products (INN) separated by the way of advertising channel.

Table 1.Approved OTC advertisement during March-June 2013

Printed advertisement Radio advertisement TV advertisement
March
Nizoral(Ketoconazol) Famotidine
(Famotidine)
Canespor (Bifonazol)
Mig for children(Ibuprofen) Claritine (Loratadine) Claritine (Loratadine)
Panadol baby (Paracetamol) Muconasalplusspray(Tramazoline)
Roletra (Loratadine) Dulcolaxpico (Sodiupico sulfate)
Coldrex (Paracetamol)
Panthenol spray

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(Dexpanthenol)
Regaine
Aflamil(Aceclofenac)
April
Imomed(Loperamide) Fungofin(Terbinafin)
Cervarix(HPV) Dulcolax(Sodium pico sulfate)
Detralex(Diosmine,
Hysperidine)
Imodium (Loperamide)
Lioton 1000 GEL(Heparin) Vibrocil(Phenylephrine)
Stoperan (Loperamide) Stoperan (Loperamide)
May
Imomed(Loperamide) Fungofin(Terbinafin)
Cervarix(HPV) Dulcolax(Sodium pico sulfate)
Detralex
(Diosmine,Hysperidine)
Imodium (Loperamide)
Lioton 1000 GEL(Heparin) Vibrocil(Phenylephrine)
Stoperan (Loperamide) Stoperan(Loperamide)
Imomed(Loperamide) Fungofin (Terbinafin)
June
Caffetine forte(Paracetamol) Stodal(Ipecacuanha,Bryonia)
Voltaren forte(Diclofenac) No-spa (Drotaverine)
Nimenrix Aspirin C (Acetylsalicylic acid)
Hidrasec (Racecadotril)

On total 23 printed, 2 radio, and 17 TV advertisement were approved. According to the
therapeutic group medicines treating dermatology symptoms, pain, homeopathic medicines,
laxatives and anti-diaries medicines were approved. Only 6 OTC analgesics were approved
during this period and they were included in the questionnaire for pharmacists.

The main idea of the inquiry is to evaluate the influence of the issued permissions and
advertised OTC analgesics on patients choice and pharmacies sale data.

The demographic characteristics of the questioned patients are shown on Table 2. They are
randomly separated as gender, age, and education level.

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Table 2.Demographic characteristics of the patients

Age category (years) Number Percent
18-25 46 15,86%
26-31 56 19,31%
32-41 67 23,10%
42-51 58 20,00%
52-61 36 12,41%
above 61 27 9,31%
2. Gender
Female 170 58,62%
Mail 120 41,38%
3. Education
Primary school 2 0,69%
Secondary school 107 36,90%
Bachelor 58 20,00%
Master 123 41,41%

Table 3.Distribution of patients answers
Question Number % answered
1. Did the advertisement influence your choice of medicine?
Yes 195 67,24%
No 95 32,76%
2. What is the effect of the advertisement on you?
Reminding 100 34,48%
Positively influencing 43 14,83%
Intriguing 114 39,31%
Stimulating purchase 33 11,38%
3. Which of the advertisement channel is more influential?
Printed 48 16,55%
Radio 25 8,62%
TV 217 74,83%
4. How often do you both medicines after advertisement?
Always 2 0,69%
Most of the time 59 20,35%
Sometime 172 59,31%
Never 57 19,66%
5. How long are you influence by the advertisement of medicine?

818

1 day 35 12,07%
1 week 46 15,86%
1 month 38 13,10%
Till the end of campaign 75 25,86%
1 month after the end of campaign 29 10,00%
3 months after the end of campaign 10 3,45%
Other 57 19,66%
6. Do you consider the information in the advertisement useful?
Yes 233 80,34%
No 57 19,66%

Patients do not definitive agree that the advertisement influences their decision. 67% confirm
that they are influenced in some extend by the advertisement Table 3. They assess the role
of the advertisement mostly as reminding or intriguing (70%), and they consider that the TV
advertisement is more attractive (75%).

Patients claim that only sometime they buy advertised medicines (59%). For 25% the effect
of advertising is not longstanding and ends quickly (26%) (Table 3). Nevertheless 80% of
questioned consider advertising campaigns as useful and informative. That is why there is a
need of advertisement control because if the campaigns are not accurate the advertising can
be misleading and even harmful for the people.

The questioned pharmacists are also equally distributed by age structure and female prevail
(82%) Table 4.

Table 4.Demographic characteristics of the pharmacists

1.Age (years) Number % answered
26-31 16 32%
32-41 8 16%
42-51 12 24%
52-61 12 24%
above 61 2 4%
Gender
Female 41 82%
Male 9 18%
3.Position
Manager 18 36%

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Employed
pharmacist
32 64%

Pharmacists answers differ from those of patients and are more definitive Table 5. All
admit that advertising influences the sales data. The impact of advertising could be explained
with its importance for purchasing of medicines by the pharmacy. When the product is
advertised the pharmacists need to supply it and this will influence their everyday work with
patients.
The TV advertising is stronger influencer for 94% of the questioned pharmacists and 88%
considers that the medicine is also influencing the effect of the advertising.

The advertisement effect on customer continues till its end for 46%, but 26% considers that
the effect is longer.

The advertisement of medicines is influencing the self-medication according to 94% of
the pharmacists. Patients are not always fully convinced and 44% ask for additional
consultation with pharmacists and only 24% are buying medicines directly without any need
for additional information.

Table 5.Distribution of pharmacists answers
Question Number %
answered
1. Did the advertisement influence the sales of medicines?
Yes 50 100%
No 0 0%
2. Could you arrange the first by effect of different
advertising channels.

- printed 3 6%
- radio 0 0%
-TV 47 94%
3. Did the advertisement influence depend on the medicine?
Yes 44 88%
No 6 12%
4. How long is the effect of advertisement on sales?
-1 day 0 0%
-1 week 4 8%
-1 month 9 18%
Till the end of campaign 23 46%
1 month after the end of campaign 13 26%
3 months after the end of campaign 1 2%
Other 0 0%

820

5. Did the advertisement of OTC medicines stimulate the
self-medication?

Yes 47 94%
No 3 6%
6. How the advertisements influence the patients behavior?
- Create a need for consultation with pharmacists; 22 44%
- The patient is convinced in the product characteristics
and pharmacists opinion doesnt matter;
16 32%
- Buy an advertised medicine; 12 24%
- Are not influenced by the advertisement; 0 0%
7. At what time interval the sales data started to change after
the beginning of advertisement?
8,48days
SD +/- (1,15)

-
8. Is there a difference in the effect in time regarding the type
of advertisement?
Indays:
- printed 7,16days
SD +/- (0,76)
-
- radio 6,62days
SD +/- (0.65)
-
- TV 4,06days
SD +/- (0,71)
-

Preference of the advertising channels is mostly towards the TV way. Most of the questioned
pharmacists and patients use printed materials(Table 6).

Table 6.Scoring of advertisement channels according to their influencing

Range Printed Radio TV
First place 3 0 47
Second place 23 8 1
Third place 23 42 2

No one pointed the radio advertisement at first place and even opposite all questioned
pharmacists place it at the third place. The printed materials are neutral in the way of their
preferences because an equal number of people place that channel on second and third
place.The average time when the advertisement affects the sales data is 8,5 days and the most
faster is the TV advertisement (4 days) according to the pharmacists answer.

The last question in the pharmacists questionnaire was to evaluate indirectly the way of
influencing of the advertisement. They were asked to check whether they had changes in the
sales data of the products that were previously received the approval for advertising during a
particular month.Because the products were advertised by trade name the data are presented

821

in that way. The most evident was the effect of the Coldrex advertisement (increase with 26%
of sales data), followed by Aspirin (increase with 23%) Table 6. The table also shows that
not only the product influences the sales but also the brand name of the product because there
were three products containing paracetamol were advertised in one and the same period
Table 6.

Table 6.In 2013 were advertised the following products. Could you please check the
data for the changes in their sales?

Trade name Month of advertising Changes in sales data %
Paracetamol (Ecopharm) March 6,76% (SD 1,07)
Panadol baby March 15,06% (SD 1,95)
Coldrex March 25,80% (SD 2,29)
Analgin (Sopharma) May 19,04% (SD 2,76)
Caffetine forte June 11,18% (SD 1,71)
Acetyl salicylic acid June 23,40% (SD 2,84)

The correlation analysis revealed that there is a correlation among the age of pharmacists and
their position. (p=0.028, significance level 0.05) Table 7.Most of the respondents belong to
the age group 26-31 and are taking the managerial position.

Table 7.Correlation among the age and position of pharmacists
age Position
Kendall's tau_b
Age
Correlation Coefficient 1,000 288
*

Sig. (1-tailed) . 013
N 50 50
Position
Correlation Coefficient 288
*
1,000
Sig. (1-tailed) 013 .
N 50 50
Spearman's rho
Age
Correlation Coefficient 1,000 313
*

Sig. (1-tailed) . 013
N 50 50
Position
Correlation Coefficient 313
*
1,000
Sig. (1-tailed) 013 .

822

N 50 50
*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (1-tailed).

The age is correlated with the choice of the preferred advertising channel (p=0.003,
significance level 0.01), and the preferred channel is that of the TV advertisement Table 8.
No other correlations were found.

Table 8.Correlation between the age and preferred advertising channel
Age Preference
Kendall's tau_b
Age
Correlation Coefficient 1,000 -,358
**

Sig. (1-tailed) . ,003
N 50 50
Preference
Correlation Coefficient -,358
**
1,000
Sig. (1-tailed) ,003 .
N 50 50
Spearman's rho
Age
Correlation Coefficient 1,000 -,388
**

Sig. (1-tailed) . ,003
N 50 50
Prefernce
Correlation Coefficient -,388
**
1,000
Sig. (1-tailed) ,003 .
N 50 50
**. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed).

DISCUSSION
The current study is trying to study and to measure the influence of the advertisement of
analgesics on patients and pharmacists
[12]
. It confirms the fact that the advertisement
influences the patients opinion and the sale data of the product.It also shows that the
advertising materials have an important information effect on the patients. Thus the work of
the drug agencies is to prevent the misleading messages and wrong statement and to protect
the public health.

We also found in our study that in spite of the fact that most of the advertised OTC analgesics
were very well known with longstanding usage the advertising significantly influences their
sales and so it is very important for companies marketing purposes
[13]
. Pharmacists and

823

patients consider advertisement mostly as a reminding for the products with long utilization.
The brand also matters and logically the TVadvertising is the most influential and preferred
one.

Younger pharmacists, which take managerial positions in the pharmacies are influenced in
higher extend by the advertising probably due to their more dynamic way of managing and
willingness for faster sales increase.

The reported increase in the sale data especially for some brands is higher than people
reported to be influenced by the advertising. We can assume that the influence of the
advertisement even for well-known products is higher than is realized.

CONCLUSION
The OTC analgesics advertising influences the peoples and pharmacists behavior and
increase the sales data in greater extent.

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