Purpose – The purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) on consumers’ decision-making (CDM). Design/methodology/approach – Practical data were used in the empirical analysis collected from 484 consumer surveyed by means of a questionnaire. Statistical techniques such as descriptive statistics, correlation, simple and multiple regressions were employed. A Cronbach’s alpha was used to confirm the suitability of the data collection instrument. Findings – The results of the study indicated a positive significant relationship between DTCA and CDM. The results indicated that there was significant impact of healthcare awareness on CDM, but there were no significant impacts of drug–drug interactions, medical information source and consumer economical situation on CDM. Research limitations/implications – The data are also limited to a Jordanian market; therefore, generalizing results of a Jordanian setting to other countries may be questionable. Extending the analyses to other settings represent future research opportunities. Originality/value – The current research may be considered as an initiative study that highlights the effect of DTCA on CDM in Jordan and in the Arab world. The results can provide the reference for further research about the relationship between DTCA and CDM.