Should Pharmaceutical Commercials be allowed on TV?

[jyoutz]

I don’t like these commercials. But in their defense, the last sentence is always “Ask your doctor if xx drug is right for you.”

 

[MTGreen]

Both direct to consumer drug ads and class action lawsuit ads used to be illegal. Both were made legal after prolonged lobbying by each industry

 

[sd455dan]

View attachment 794723

Yeah,
as bad as the "Kane Madness" side effects for the experimental anthrax vaccine in the movie Evolution

 

[Fixastuff]

I haven't seen a commercial in 2 years. Got starlink and just stream everything, no commercials is awesome.

 

[LouNY]

I very seldom see any broadcast TV with commercials, that said what I do watch I don't pay much if any attention to the ads. Thats a good time to stretch my legs get a glass of water or whatever. I am not a fan of Governmental meddling in very much of anything.
Besides which I saw one comment about how often doctors are seeing pharmaceutical reps and that was grossly over stated. At times if is possible that a patient may have seen a drug ad and mentioned such a medicine to a doctor in a beneficial way.
Government regulation of any kind always becomes to much regulating by unelected bureaucratic parasites.

 

[CobyRupert]

IMHO, the effects of government not regulating (food, water, medicine) can be just as impactful as excessive regulating. For me, the bigger question is whose interests do the regulations (or the absence of) serve? That is, whose interest does the government serve? And is money changing hands?
2cents.

Lou has a good point about the advertising we don’t see: reps pushing drugs on doctors to distribute. Do they still offer goodies and junkets? Think it works? Advertising wouldn’t exist if it didn’t.

 

[kenmbz]

Since most of the training documentation is written by the big pharma, does it really make a difference?

However, seeing many of these commercials can put me off my dinner.

 

[ruffdog]

The drug ads, teeth whitening ads, lawyer ads, diet ads, fat removal ads, and personal hygiene ads. We use the mute button often. I like the Jersey Mike's ads and Chewy ads.

 

[RandyT]

I'm always amused by the side effects.
Something like a zit medication will list possible connections to cancer, heart attacks or even death. The list of negative side effects is often overwhelming.
You have a serious illness and you take this drug because even with it's dangers it may help you.
But these medications to deal with minor irritations that can kill you?
How stupid are people for taking them?
How do these drugs get registered for general use?

Years ago there was a drug for restless leg syndrome that had a side effect of compulsive gambling. So your legs would stop moving at night so you can sleep, but you also will not have any money.

 

[MTGreen]

IMHO, the effects of government not regulating (food, water, medicine) can be just as impactful as excessive regulating. For me, the bigger question is whose interests do the regulations (or the absence of) serve? That is, whose interest does the government serve? And is money changing hands?
2cents.

Lou has a good point about the advertising we don’t see: reps pushing drugs on doctors to distribute. Do they still offer goodies and junkets? Think it works? Advertising wouldn’t exist if it didn’t.

Offering goodies and junkets, called "detailing", is no longer legal as of around 2007-2010. (Alas, no more Viagra pens...). Drug companies now have restrictions about how they can contact providers and pharmacists -mostly they can only reach out to provide education and there are rules for how they can go about that. Many hospitals now have policies of not allowing drug reps on their campuses.

 

[jaxs]

Would you rather get rid of drug ads and see more Joe Namath and JJ Walker Medicare ads.

 

[kenmbz]

Would you rather get rid of drug ads and see more Joe Namath and JJ Walker Medicare ads.

 

[/pine]

Go sit in a doctor's office parking lot and just observe...most of the time half the people going in are NOT patients...they are reps...

 

[Jchonline]

No they should not be able to advertise on TV.

Most of the drugs you see are for specific rare diseases or subsets of diseases. Many of them are GENE specific meaning you must have a specific genetic marker that is identified via testing.

All of these diseases require a specialist to treat (ie not a Family Medicine MD). The specialist is fully aware of the availability of said medication and if it would work for a specific patient.

Direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) for drugs is one of the worst decisions the healthcare industry has made.

For anyone that wants a very in-depth history:

A History of Drug Advertising: The Evolving Roles of Consumers and Consumer Protection - PMC

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the United States is controversial. Underlying the debate are disagreements over the role of consumers in medical decision making, the appropriateness of consumers engaging in ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[NoTrespassing]

If

No they should not be able to advertise on TV.

Most of the drugs you see are for specific rare diseases or subsets of diseases. Many of them are GENE specific meaning you must have a specific genetic marker that is identified via testing.

All of these diseases require a specialist to treat (ie not a Family Medicine MD). The specialist is fully aware of the availability of said medication and if it would work for a specific patient.

Direct to consumer advertising (DTCA) for drugs is one of the worst decisions the healthcare industry has made.

For anyone that wants a very in-depth history:

A History of Drug Advertising: The Evolving Roles of Consumers and Consumer Protection - PMC

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs in the United States is controversial. Underlying the debate are disagreements over the role of consumers in medical decision making, the appropriateness of consumers engaging in ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

If TV advertising is restricted, should other forms of media be restricted as well? Should drug companies be limited to advertising in medical journals?

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Free market. My favorite commercial was for Masculine Itch Cream. It was really a Sprint commercial, anyone remember? A collect call from Bob Haveababyitsaboy? They can drop the tampon commercials. But, if they pay the most, let them have at it, it's a free market economy. I don't even have a TV, I was afraid everyone would think it stood for transvestite. I remember the old days, when you said you blew a tranny, it meant you had car trouble.

 

[bigtiller]

Some are entertaining.

I know some little kids that start giggling when that commercial comes on that tells us about odor control.

"Hey little sister, you need some some of that stinky butt crack cream."

 

[caver]

No.

 

[LouNY]

Go sit in a doctor's office parking lot and just observe...most of the time half the people going in are NOT patients...they are reps...

Unfortunately I have spent considerable time the last few years Doctors office parking lots and waiting rooms and I have seen NO, None, zero pharmaceutical reps coming in and they would have to use the same doors as everyone else.

 

[jaxs]

I was afraid everyone would think it stood for transvestite. I remember the old days, when you said you blew a tranny, it meant you had car trouble.

I don't know why people get in an uproar when someone comes out in support of transvestites. I'm willing to offer services I learned raising livestock free to get some people well on the way to transitioning.