Posted on behalf of Wendy McLaughlin
Surely you have seen the plethora of commercials and print ads for prescription and over-the-counter drugs. On more than one occasion I’ve been sure I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Joint Inflammation, and Depression from the ads. These ads give me the same emotional appeal for the prescriptions as shampoo ads. Don’t you want to feel like the woman walking out of the elevator after having been “finessed” or get that incredible shine from Pantene ProV? In 2005 Nexium was the third best selling drug in the world. It is used to control stomach acid.
Have you ever tried to talk with your doctor or pharmacist and really tried to understand which medication is “better” based on risks and benefits. I find this extremely challenging- no matter what the medical concern. Don’t get me wrong, I want each of us to have access to the most current drugs appropriate for our condition and be well informed as active participants in our health care. But where do we draw the line? How do we ensure that we receive effective communication about the risks/benefits and most current medication available to us? As you know this problem has been around since the mid-80’s when the FDA lessened restrictions on drug company advertisements. Should I be surprised that we still have newsworthy incidences almost weekly where medications are prescribed inappropriately (not the intended use of the drug) or marketed incorrectly?
The FDA just announced a new advisory committee to address risk communication. You can view the press release here: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01648.html .
This is an opportunity for the FDA to explore and report on how they communicate information about the efficacy, safety and use of drugs. I feel good about this- and believe we should support these efforts. Some drug companies report similar efforts to develop voluntary guidelines for advertising. However, I really struggle with the fact that pharmaceutical companies spent an estimated $1.9 billion on TV advertising in 2005. Most countries have banned direct-to-consumer drug advertising; the United States and New Zealand are the only countries where this is legal.
1 comment:
This is definitely too much information, but it's realted. Recently I asked my gyno for a diaphram (sp?). This is after trying a handful of hormone based contraceptives that--related to my bp disorder or not--made me depressed AND gave me the appearence of a mustache above my upper lip (I wanted to prevent pregnancy, not attraction from the opposite sex). So finally i ask for the D. and it costs a whopping thirty bucks, and it'll work for a couple of years. WAAAAAAAAAAAAY cheaper than all the hormonal stuff, no side effects, just as effective---how come my doc NEVER suggested it? I feel like it may be because docs are pretty wrapped up in pharmaceutical offerings. Nobody's advertising the D on TV, but they should. It's awesome.
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