When a Patient or Caregiver Asks for a Drug by Name, What Should Practitioners Do?

Increasingly, people are interested in taking control of their own health care and that of their older loved ones. So it’s not surprising that the pharmaceutical industry is spending billions annually on direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. While these ads may help start important conversations about various conditions and help inform consumers about treatment options, they can put prescribers between a rock and a hard place when patients or family members request or demand a medication they see on TV, thinking it will be the answer to their problems.