37 pages. "Supporters [say DTC ads educate] consumers about medical conditions and care options and that the increased use of prescription drugs that DTC advertising encourages has improved the public's health. Critics ... contend that it is sometimes misleading, leads consumers to seek prescription drugs when other treatments may be more appropriate, and causes some patients to ask their physician to prescribe new drugs that are more expensive but may not be more effective than older drugs." [GAO-03-177, published Oct. 28, 2002, released Dec. 4, 2002]