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# DTC Research to Examine Treatment Tradeoffs
- URL: https://www.fdaweb.com/dtc-research-to-examine-treatment-tradeoffs/
- Published: 2023-04-28T12:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-14T18:28:28.000Z
- Author: David McFarland
- Tags: Drugs, #legacy-id-D5154323

CDER’s Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (OPDP) is planning a direct-to-consumer drug advertising survey to understand the tradeoffs made by diagnosed consumers and how those tradeoffs differ from the tradeoffs made by physicians on the drugs to use/prescribe.

“The proposed research examines the relative importance of prescription drug product information such as prescription drug efficacy, risk, adherence, and patient preference claims in two medical conditions (Type 2 diabetes and psoriasis) in consumer and physician samples,” an [agency notice](https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-09183.pdf?ref=fdaweb.com) says. “When confronted with an important decision, people tend to make choices that reflect a series of tradeoffs between certain desirable and undesirable attributes of a product, service, or experience.”

FDA says that treatment choices made by consumers and treating physicians are influenced by certain factors, such as the drug’s perceived impact on quality of life, dosage complexity, administration mode, costs, and other marketing claims. “Although diagnosed consumers may weigh the risks, benefits, or other salient characteristics of prescription drug products differently than physicians, little research directly compares the treatment preferences of these two groups,” the agency says. It adds that understanding the tradeoffs between the two groups will “provide valuable insight into the relevance and impact of various product attributes and promotional claims on informed choices and treatment decisions.”