With US spending on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising now surpassing $100 million a year for some drugs, American physicians are facing growing pressure to prescribe specific products. Will their Canadian counterparts also feel the heat? UBC's Therapeutics Initiative (TI) program thinks they will and is warning them to stand firm. Citing the antibalding drug finasteride as an example, TI program managers noted that 6 men have to be treated for 1 year for 1 man to be satisfied with his new appearance, and if treatment is stopped any benefit disappears within 6 to 12 months (www .ti.ubc.ca /pages /letter .html). They said that with MDs already receiving 10 requests for specific drugs from patients weekly, they must ensure that patients know the difference between advertising and a drug's known benefits, known harms and unknown risks.
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