Pros And Cons Of Prescription Drug Advertisements

We live in a nation where thousands of people are constantly suffering from chronic pain; due to hard work, improper use of body mechanics, and accidents. As a result the population has become fairly accustomed to taking medications as a fast way to alleviate their pain. The majority of the population does not know what is in the pills they are taking. They rely on their professional physicians to make the decision as to what is being prescribed. They rarely question the side effects, effectiveness, or safety. The public is constantly targeted by advertisement. Making people believe that they know all the information needed to use new medication. Companies are constantly introducing new pills with various uses. Advertisements urge the

If prescription drugs were safe to be taken by most of the general public then they would be on local drug store shelves right now, but they aren’t. Furthermore, prescription drugs are often new, have not been tested long term, have serious side effects, a high likelihood of abuse by the average consumer, and require an evaluation of the patient by a physician. What the public sees is a cartoon sad face that’s suddenly smiling after taking this drug, with some side effects that happen to a few people, it is not an accurate representation of the drugs pros and cons. Additionally, the average consumer of prescription drugs does not possess the medical knowledge to decide what it is that they need, exactly why a provider's recommendation/prescription

Advertising companies have capitalized on people’s desire for expedient and effective results by changing their sales strategies in order to increase profit. Consumers and physicians are specifically targeted in direct-to-consumer advertising strategies, such as ads on television, magazines, and other physician-focused promotions. Studies that assess the effect of advertising show an increase in prescribing practices as well as an increase on the demand for prescription medication. Because prescription medications are perceived as valuable for health maintenance, economic theorists predict changes in marketing costs are not likely to impact pharmaceutical sales further demonstrating the strong relationship between physicians’ willingness to prescribe and patients’ need to consume medications. The cyclical relationship of advertising companies, to physicians, and to consumers reveals the significant influence money can have on prescribing practices, which may have strong implications for overprescribing

These sources could be family members, friends, pharmacists or drug advertisements on TV or other media. These sources can be broadly categorized as either media or non-media. Previous research has illustrated that patient age, drug knowledge, and the type of drug information searched are key factors which affect consumer preferences while choosing the source used for drug information (Cosler et al., 1986; Doucette and Schommer, 1998; Morris et al., 1987 Williams and Hensel, 1995).

“First, in all fairness, I will start with physicians. We overprescribe opioids, just as we over prescribe antibiotics. But it is generally well meaning; we don’t want our patients to experience pain. But then we prescribe thirty or sixty pills when five or twenty would have been adequate” (Hirsch, 2016). According to a news article published by CNN, a southern California physician was arrested on February 15, 2016, and charged with murder, after the death of three patients from prescription drug overdoses. This can prove the claim that the prescribing physicians should be held accountable for prescription drug abuse and overdose.

Since the FDA is very lenient on ads for prescription drugs, there are many successful misleading prescriptions drug ads in the media. These successful prescription drug ads have several things in common. They all use positive images and sounds to distract the viewer from focusing on the negative, which is the side effects of the prescription drug. The prescription drug ads for Celebrex, and Cymbalta, and Chantix are the definition of what misleading drug ads is.

This is concerning because pharmaceutical advertisements are negatively impacting clinical decisions and changing the behavior and beliefs of consumers, medical journals, and healthcare providers. Thus, pharmaceutical companies are advertising excessively and leading to unfavorable changes in clinical decisions.

Direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA), defined as “an effort (usually via popular media) made by a pharmaceutical company to promote ... prescription products directly to patients,” is a common practice and an important issue that impacts the health of U.S. citizens, the prices of prescription drugs and health care, and doctor-patient relationships (Ventola). This paper will discuss the historical and political lens of DTCPA: how and why changes to DTCPA were made in the past, how current politics suggests a possible change to decrease or limit future DTCPA could be accomplished, and specific regulatory aspects that require more attention. This is important because in order to propose reasonable changes, we need to understand which would likely succeed in the near future and which are most needed.

Advertising for prescription opiates overlooks the fact that they are addictive. In a world filled with technology, advertisements are everywhere. It is nearly impossible for many people to get through the day without hearing at least one commercial. In the past several years, drug companies have begun to advertise their products. Designed to appeal to the public, most ads do not disclose their faults. However, in the dawn of the opioid crisis, states are beginning to question the lack of acknowledgment of their drug’s addictive history. The city of Chicago has sued several pharmaceutical companies over misleading advertising. While some companies have reached an agreement to disclose the risk of addiction with their products, advocates believe this does not solely make a large impact on improving the opiate crisis. Adriane Fugh-Berman, professor of pharmacology at Georgetown University School of Medicine, claims, "Maybe it's a first step, but I think counting on pharmaceutical companies to get us out of this opioid mess is not likely to be successful,” (qtd. in Bernstein). Advocates agree, solely relying on pharmaceutical companies will not solve the opioid

Pharmaceutical companies are receiving negative allegations due to the “off-label” advertising of drugs. The Federal and Drug Administration require strict regulations for the use of “off-label” drugs in the pharmaceutical industry. “Off-label” practice of drugs are not prohibited, however, promoting the drugs are illegal. The concern of effective treatment is weighing the benefits and risks of “off-label” drugs for the best interest of the patient. In addition, companies who fail to comply with the FDA regulations, face consequences such as costly fines as well as criminal issues. Pharmaceutical companies often settle with the government, due to lack of proper procedures, complying with public health agencies. Modifying the policies of pharmaceutical companies with a different approach will limit the misuse of “off-label” drugs (Ghillyer, 2014).

There has been increasing controversy surrounding pharmaceutical marketing and influence as accusations and findings of influence on doctors and other health professionals through drug reps, including the constant provision of marketing 'gifts' and biased information to health professionals have lead to the suspicion of influencing doctors decisions in a way that profits the pharmaceutical company which in some cases has resulted in doctors prescribing products which would not benefit the patient at all or less than other drugs. Some advocacy groups, such as No Free Lunch, have often criticized the effect of drug marketing to physicians but the huge lobby the industry has established make it difficult for such activists groups to achieve any

According to Dr. Stange and the U.S. Library of Medicine, “58% strongly agree that DTC ads make the drugs seem much better than they are”. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) This DTCA is a pipedream for people. The economy is extremely altered by the expensive drugs being advertised. According to the International Society for Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research, “DTCA may also increase the utilization and health care costs by only focusing on the newest and most expensive drugs”. (https://www.ispor.org) Thus, the squabble of society is sustained. Nearly 70% of Americans are on at least one prescribed drug, the over utilization of this is becoming more apparent. Dr. Matthews of the Mackinac Center states that, “giving away samples lures patients into using prescription drugs.” (https://www.mackinac.org/) Which shows how the companies weigh the sales of their products to the help of the

Drugs-whether prescription, over the counter, or behind the counter-have either a beneficial or adversary effect. Prescription drugs are “licensed medicine that is regulated by legislation to require a medical prescription before it can be obtained.” They require a physician’s prescription in order to be utilized. Over the counter drugs are “medicines sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional.” They play an active role in society today, for most people use prescription drugs to have immediate care. Behind the counter drugs, on the other hand, are “medicines that are stocked behind the counter of a pharmacy which require the attention or counsel of a pharmacist before being dispensed or handed over to a consumer or patient.” They are in-between prescription drugs and over the counter. BTC drugs are transitional drugs that have side effects and need pharmacist advice in order to most effectively use them. Research from The Pharmaceutical Industry and Prescription Drugs have shown both positive and negative viewpoint of BTC drugs. BTC drugs face the struggle of legally creating a BTC class, consumer responsibility regarding intake and possession, and expenses regarding usage. With proper knowledge and information regarding BTC drugs, BTC drugs can be exploited.

Direct to consumer (DTC) drug advertising is a controversial topic. The debate is centered around the ability of the consumer to self-diagnosis, the patient-physician relationship and the need to further regulate the pharmaceutical companies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acquired jurisdiction over prescription drug advertising in 1962 (Frosch et al,2010). Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs (Rx ads) is defined as any promotional effort by the pharmaceutical companies to present prescription drug information to the general public through media outlets (Bradley et al, 1997). Although, DTC advertising has some good effects such as improving the quality of clinical care, by encouraging patients and physician to have a

These messages can effectively deter first-time drug use and form a vital component of the Truth About Drugs program.