Impact of direct-to-consumer drug advertising during the Super Bowl on drug utilization

Background: Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs impacts patients' requests for medications, and clinician prescribing. However, the impact of DTCA during the Super Bowl has not been previously described.

Objective: Evaluate the impact of prescription drug DTCA during the Super Bowl on drug utilization using 2014-2016 Medicare data.

Methods: Efinaconazole was advertised during Super Bowls XLIX (02/01/2015) and L (02/07/2016). The number of prescriptions for efinaconazole and for a comparator drug, tavaborole, were calculated in 31-day intervals from July 2014-December 2016. Interrupted time-series analysis models were created to test changes in trends of prescriptions for efinaconazole and tavaborole.

Results: Following Super Bowl XLIX, the number of prescriptions per 100,000 Medicare beneficiaries increased by 91% for efinaconazole, and 275% for tavaborole. After Super Bowl L, the number of prescriptions increased significantly for efinaconazole (p-value<0.001), but not for tavaborole (p = 0.70). Interrupted time-series analyses estimated that, in the absence of DTCA during Super Bowl XLIX, prescriptions for efinaconazole would have increased by 40%, instead of the observed 91%. For tavaborole, prescriptions would have increased by 90% instead of 275%.

Conclusions: DTCA during the Super Bowl resulted in sharp increases in utilization of the prescription drug advertised, which supports further regulation of DTCA.