You have to laugh when you read that advertisers’ lobbying groups reacted with anger today at a study published in the Annals of Family Medicine criticizing direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising. They claim that the study was out of date and misconceived. The study concluded that “only 26%” of drug ads on TV made claims about “risk factors or causes of the condition” in question. And that seven of the 38 ads captured in the study were “reminder” ads (i.e. going on about the purple pill, without giving viewers a clue what the heck it was for!) Reminder ads are now part of a voluntary ban among major drug advertisers. PhRMA, the drug industry lobby group, claims the results are flawed because the study was conducted two years before the reminder ad ban came into effect. As they put it… “The study does not reflect any of the positive changes in DTC advertisements over the past 12 months and therefore has little relevance to the current policy discussion on direct-to-consumer advertising.” To which I reply, bullshit! They still, not only play on the viewers fears that they may be on the verge of some catastrophic illness if they don’t get to their Doctor and demand whatever snake oil these people are peddling, They also help to keep the cost of medicine higher than any other western nation. If you don’t believe me, ask yourself why the drug companies need to spend three times as much on advertising and marketing as they do on R&D.
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I'm not a real Doctor, but I play one in TV commercials for drug companies!
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