About the lecture

Spending on prescription drugs is far higher in the U.S. than anywhere else in the world, due in large part to limited regulation of drug prices. In response to ongoing demands for political action, the Department of Health and Human Services proposed a policy mandating the inclusion of drug list prices in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical television commercials. While that policy has since been blocked by the court system, questions remain as to whether such a policy could still lower drug prices and what unintended effects may arise. This presentation reports the results of a multi-method research project aimed at addressing those questions and tracking cost-related information in TV drug ads over time.

About the speaker

Dr. Jennifer Ball is an assistant professor in the Department of Advertising & Public Relations at Klein College of Media and Communication. Her scholarship examines the messaging strategies and effects of advertising and promotional health communication with a focus on direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising. She has published her work in a variety of health communication and marketing communication journals including the International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Health Communication, Journal of Consumer Affairs, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising and Health Marketing Quarterly.