The first reaction by consumers after seeing a DTC ad is to seek info - whether it’s before, during and after a prescription is filled - not rushing to the doctor office to request a med, a national survey of 1,503 people by Prevention, Men’s Health and Women’s Health magazines.

Other findings:

- Sixty-eight percent of consumers claim they know a lot about their medical condition or illness; 67 percent say they know the benefits of the meds they take, and 59 percent say they know the risks;

- Even after a prescription is filled, 75 percent are still looking for info about their meds, and 29 percent stop to read or watch an ad;

- More consumers agree or somewhat agree, (73 percent to be exact, that DTC ads allow people to be more involved with their healthcare;

- Consumers want to know how a drug’s effectiveness compares to other meds - 61 percent vs. 46 percent in 2005; how a drug treats a condition - 76 percent vs. 70 percent last year; and how it interacts with other meds - 66 percent vs. 57 percent last year;

- Only 8 percent of consumers are stimulated to ask their doctor for a specific medication after seeing a DTC ad;

- A little more than half of consumers, or 56 percent, are currently taking a prescription drug. Ten years ago, 47 percent of consumers did so;

- Among the 36 percent of consumers who remember seeing any disease awareness ad, 52 percent say they have either talked with their doctor, a friend or family member or searched for additional info online.

Here’s the full press release.[tags]DTC Advertising[/tags]