Prescription Drug Advertising Messages in the Media

Students will gain an understanding of media messages and how the concepts surrounding media literacy
impact prescription drug advertising.
Grades 11-12
Standards (NBEA which I have been told are the only ones being used in local districts) :
I. Foundations of Marketing
Achievement Standard: Recognize the customer-oriented nature of marketing and analyze the impact of
marketing activities on the individual, business, and society.
II. Consumers and Their Behavior
Achievement Standard: Analyze the characteristics, motivations, and behaviors of consumers.
III. External Factors
Achievement Standard: Analyze the influence of external factors on marketing.

Learning objectives:
SWBAT

investigate direct-to-consumer media messages utilized by pharmaceutical companies

critically examine media messages to uncover the advertising approaches embedded within them
construct examples of media messages utilizing television and/or magazine advertising examples

Materials

Internet access for teacher

Pre-selected pharmaceutical advertisements assigned a number 1-4 by manufacturing company
Handouts (Key Concepts in Media Literacy, Prescription Drug Advertising

Instructional planning

The essential questions for this lesson are:

o How does prescription drug advertising increase the likelihood that name brands will become the
drugs of choice?
o How are direct-to-consumer advertising practices utilized by pharmaceutical companies?
What is included/excluded from their advertising?
How close to reality are these messages?
What social/economic impacts are an effect of drug advertising?
Prepare examples of drug advertisements, both prescription and non-prescription, in a short video. This
will be used at the beginning of the lesson as a hook. Since this topic has the potential to be very
sensitive, limit examples to drugs used for everyday ailments.
After the video, ask students to begin analyzing the pre-selected advertisement provided to them so that
they can independently complete the Prescription Drug Advertising handout.
Create groups of students to discuss their answers to the PDA handout. In working through this, break
students up in groups including numbers 1-4 on the advertisements so that they can each critically
discuss the different approaches of each manufacturer.

Balgopal, 2014

Introduce concepts in media literacy student handout Key Concepts in Media Literacy and ask
students to draw inferences for each principle of media literacy from the ads that they identified through
the PDA exercise.

Procedure/activity
Student Activity
Engage

Ask students to think about/ write down

responses to the following prompt:
See right side

Teacher Activity
Show teacher-compiled video of drug
company advertising located at
www.myteacherocks.com. Ask: How
does prescription drug advertising
increase the likelihood that name brands
will become the drugs of choice?

Explore

Students independently assess pharmaceutical Distribute Prescription Drug

company advertising using worksheet and one Advertising worksheet with an
magazine example handed out to them
explanation of purpose: find one
advertisement in teacher-provided
advertisement and document personal
analysis (using worksheet) of the
advertisement.

Explain

Students will gather in groups to discuss the

PDA activity and explain the conclusions that
they drew from the advertising (based on
personal perspectives of individuals in the
group).

Facilitate small group work (based on

assigned pharmaceutical companies found
in upper right-hand side of each example
advertisement each group should have a
representative from each of the four
companies). Reconvene as a class to
discuss clarifications to worksheet
prompts and how the opinions of others
allowed discovery of newfound
relationships within the students own
individual work.

Elaborate

Students will discuss/explain how key

concepts of media literacy are illustrated in
the advertisements.

Introduce the key concepts in media

literacy through the handout.

Evaluate

Review the video clip again in light of new

knowledge of media literacy. Each student
will write down: 1) short summary of the
video; 2) analysis of the video; and 3) their
personal reactions to each of the key media
concepts introduced and how they correlate to
the video advertisements.

Teacher will replay the short drug video

asking students to think through each key
concept and how it applies to the
advertising.

Balgopal, 2014

Assessment
Formative
Informal assessment of student participation in class discussion
Formal assessment of completion of PDA handout
Informal assessment of group discussions on PDA handout/participation in video review
Anticipated misconceptions/ alternative conceptions
Prescription drugs are worth any cost associated with them
Pharmaceutical companies have individuals best interests at heart
The government makes sure that pharmaceutical companies do the right thing
Media messages are created to inform the consumer
Media messages directly represent reality
Accommodations/modifications of activity
For students who need extra time, the teacher can allow them extra opportunity within the classroom to
complete the handout or allow them extra home time to do so.
For advanced students, they can complete the PDA handout and then write a reflective journal entry on
how prescription drugs have had an impact within their own social circles.

Balgopal, 2014

Rubric Prescription Drug Advertising Handout (100 points)

Category

Content
(60 points)

Handout
Attractiveness
& Organization
(10 points)

Knowledge
Gained
(30 points)

Balgopal, 2014

Proficient
(90-100 pts)

Meets
Expectations
(75-89 pts)

Needs
Improvement
(65-75 pts)

Unsatisfactory
(< 65 pts)

All facts in the

handout are accurate.
It includes all
required information.

Most facts in the

handout are accurate.
It includes almost all
of the required
information.

The handout
includes at least
half of the required
information.

The handout
includes less than
half of the required
information.

The handout has

exceptionally
attractive formatting
and well-organized
information.

The handout has

attractive formatting
and well-organized
information.

The handout has

well-organized
information.

The handouts
formatting and
organizations of
material are
confusing to the
reader.

All students in the

group can accurately
answer most
questions related to
facts in the brochure
and to technical
processes used to
create it.

Some students in
the group can
accurately answer
most questions
related to facts in
the brochure and to
technical processes
used to create it.

Most students in the

group appear to have
little knowledge
about the facts or
technical processes
used to create it.

All students in the

group can accurately
answer all questions
related to facts in the
handout and to
technical processes
used to create it.