USA

The United States is a highly competitive retail market of prescription pharmaceuticals and products and has only become increasingly crowded with the recent discussions and proposals aimed to limit the runaway, often unchecked increases in drug prices that have affected patients with many serious conditions, regardless of whether they have health insurance or not.

As direct-to-consumer promotion of prescription drugs is permitted, the boundaries between promotional activities and the provision of information are much less distinct than in the majority of the world’s markets. Promotional activities are carried out under the aegis of providing information necessary for patient care, which empowers patients to contribute to and make decisions about their healthcare and medicines.