BioUpdates for May, 2001

The delivery of medical treatment is changing. One of the more curious developments (at least to me) has been the intensive advertising of prescription drugs on television – allergies, bladder control, weight control, sleep problems, depression, sexual performance, you name it. Since changes in advertising regulations, the pharmaceutical companies are going direct to the public, marketing their latest miracle drugs to the hilt. Patients, with preconceived notions, can now go to their doctor demanding prescriptions for what ail them.

No doubt advances in pharmaceutical technology promise a healthier future (so long as you have medical coverage), but all these drugs for all these ailments makes me wonder how we survived before! Did the previous generation or two live in such abject misery? How did they live without all these drugs? Or was ignorance a drug in itself?

An amusing but nonetheless serious aspect of these commercials is the list of potential side effects mentioned at the end of the commercials. After promising relief and a brand new joyful existence the small print is read. Numerous conditions are briefly listed ranging from dry-mouth all the way to the threat of death (one of the more amusing is the sleeping tablet that may cause drowsiness…). Indeed, there is rich material for the stand-up comic in these commercials but more seriously these commercials appear to be attempting to undermine the patient-physician relationship. People will be inclined to self-diagnose their condition and even if minor, begin to pressure the doctor into prescribing one of these drugs. What is more you can be sure that the drug companies are no doubt marketing and providing incentives for doctors to prescribe their products. Is this a healthy way for medicine to be administered?

No doubt there are many with serious conditions that could truly benefit from these new drugs, but is the modern marketing machine pushing it too far, creating a demand for unneeded treatments and perhaps leading to more serious conditions resulting from the side effects?

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Critical Thinking Questions

1. Are these commercials appropriate? Isn’t it best for the doctor to be the one doing the promoting? Do you think such marketing undermines patient-doctor relationships?
2. Is it responsible for the drug companies to be seeding this information when there are so many harmful side effects? Are the public sophisticated enough to handle this information intelligently? Is there just too much information out there for the patient? Is there too little information out their for the public?
3. Is there the potential for doctors to be pressurized by patients who have "seen it on TV" and want it now? Will doctors just take a path of least resistance? Should drug treatments be used more sparingly, reserved for more serious examples of a condition? What could overuse of a drug lead to? Isn’t there something to be said for just grinning and bearing it, especially when there are side effects? Should we leave the decisions to the doctor? Or should the patient have more say as these commercials effectively advocate?
4. Are we running the risk of creating a nation of drug dependent hypochondriacs? Are we encouraging visits to the doctor with these commercials? Surely, if the condition is severe enough, someone will go to the doctor who will then inform them of their options? Why the need for commercials?
5. What do you think about the nature of the information provided on these commercials and on company websites (see below)? Is it objective? Is enough said about the side effects? Is it educational or is it just a sales pitch?
6. Could medical costs be kept under better control without all these expensive promotions? Speaking to the broader issue is it beneficial for health care to be subject to market forces and the drive for profit? Does the profit motive propel drug development and research in the best direction?
7. Should these commercials be permitted? Should they be heavily regulated? We do not allow tobacco advertising on T.V., these drugs can pose a health risk too (they even mention them on the commercial) so why allow these?

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Related Links

FDA

http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/1998/198_ads.html

FDA – Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

http://www.fda.gov/cder/index.html

Response Magazine

http://www.responsemagazine.com/1998-02/9802legalreview.html

Davis Symposium – Penn State

http://www.psu.edu/dept/donaldwdavis/

Feed Magazine

http://www.feedmag.com/daily/dy012600.html

Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/1998/12/14/focus3.html

AARP

http://research.aarp.org/health/2000_04_advertising_1.html

Seattle Times

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/news/nation-world/html98/altproz-199905

ACP-ASIM Observer

http://www.acponline.org/hpp/pospaper/dtcads.htm

http://www.acponline.org/journals/news/mar99/squeeze.htm

The Record Online

http://bergen.com/healthw/ads01200004011.htm

MIT

http://www-tech.mit.edu/V119/N15/col15polsky.15c.html

Lawyers Rant and Rave

http://www.lawyers.about.com/library/weekly/aa070498.htm

Some Drug Websites:

http://www.lipitor.com

http://www.viagra.com

http://www.prevacid.com

http://www.allegra.com

http://www.procrit.com

http://www.ZOLOFT.com

http://www.zyban.com

http://www.gw-zyban.com