By Amanda Frost, PhD 
Vice President, Research, PCMA 

I don’t watch much television these days, but when I do, I can be assured of one thing: I will be inundated with commercials advertising prescription drugs. According to one study, there were 1.35 million drug commercials aired in 2025. And these commercials have real impact. Research shows that consumers who watch these ads are more likely to ask their doctors to prescribe those same drugs, whether they need it or not. And those doctors, in turn, become more likely to prescribe the asked about drugs to those patients. Academics, clinicians, and policymakers have long worried about the pathway created here. And the United States is one of only two nations in the world that allow it.

Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is a huge business, to the tune of $6 billion last year alone. So, why are drug companies investing so heavily in these ads? And what are the real-world implications for patients, doctors, and prescription drug spending?

Here are five things you need to know about drug companies and their misleading advertisements.

1. Spending on drug ads is concentrated on expensive, blockbuster brand-name drugs
2. Drug ads influence patents: 76% of patients said they were likely to ask a doctor about an advertised drug
3. Drug advertisements drive demand for higher-priced advertised drugs over equally safe and effective cheaper alternatives
4. Providers have serious concerns about DTC ads providing incomplete information on costs, alternative treatment options, and potential adverse effects
5. Policymakers are taking steps to rein in DTC – but more action is needed

In the popular GLP-1 space, which reached $50 billion in net U.S. sales last year, spending on DTC advertising is not only high but has expanded rapidly.

PCMA is calling on policymakers to rein in Big Pharma’s DTC advertisements that drive up costs and mislead patients. In our Path to Patient Affordability, we urge lawmakers to require transparent list price disclosures in all drug advertisements, including for Medicare- and Medicaid-covered drugs and biologics.

Want to dive deeper into how misleading DTC ads increase drug spending? Explore the full explainer HERE.