Department of Social Medicine, Subdepartment of Medical Law, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2022 Jul;26(13):4798-4808. doi: 10.26355/eurrev_202207_29205.
Drug sales in Poland have been growing for several years, and the rapid increase in the purchase of OTC drugs can be linked to various advertising measures taken by drug manufacturers. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of over-the-counter drug advertising (OTCA) on preferences and attitudes.
An online survey involving 833 residents was conducted in Poland. The mean age of the participants was 27.97 years (SD = 11.15). The research tool was custom-made.
The decision to purchase an OTC drug under the influence of OTCA was made only by 12.4% of the respondents, and familiarity with OTCA inspired confidence among 9.3% of the respondents. However, more people do not even know if the advertising is related to their purchases (19.1%) or is related to trust in the particular drugs (20.3%). OTCA often misleads consumers when it comes to the self-assessment of their own health (18.7%), the therapeutic properties of drugs, and their side effects (22.4%). OTCA caused anxiety in 24.3% of the respondents, 25.2% felt that not taking the drug could worsen their health and 31.8% that it could improve the condition of a healthy person.
This advertisement does not comply with Polish regulations because they mislead consumers, make them anxious, and give the impression that they have to take the drug to stay healthy. In Poland, control over OTCA broadcast in the mass media should therefore be increased.
波兰的药品销售多年来一直在增长，而 OTC 药品购买量的快速增长可能与药品制造商采取的各种广告措施有关。本研究旨在评估非处方药品广告（OTCA）对偏好和态度的影响。
在波兰进行了一项涉及 833 名居民的在线调查。参与者的平均年龄为 27.97 岁（SD=11.15）。研究工具是定制的。
只有 12.4%的受访者在 OTCA 的影响下决定购买 OTC 药品，而 9.3%的受访者对 OTCA 的熟悉程度表示信任。然而，更多的人甚至不知道广告是否与他们的购买有关（19.1%），或者是否与对特定药物的信任有关（20.3%）。OTCA 在涉及自我评估健康状况（18.7%）、药物治疗特性及其副作用（22.4%）时，经常误导消费者。OTCA 使 24.3%的受访者感到焦虑，25.2%的受访者认为不服用药物会使他们的健康状况恶化，31.8%的受访者认为药物可以改善健康人的病情。
该广告不符合波兰法规，因为它们误导消费者，使他们感到焦虑，并给人留下他们必须服用药物才能保持健康的印象。因此，在波兰，应加强对大众媒体播出的 OTCA 的控制。
