American TV

[jbailey]

Why is it that half of the ads on American TV are for drugs? Do people really watch TV, and then go to their doctors asking for a particular birth control pill, or a particular sleep drug? I've always gone to the doctor with *problems*, not *solutions*.

If I have the answer, why would I need the doctor?

Comments

[mmmmtino.livejournal.com]

Believe it or not, these ads really do get people to go to the doctor to ask for certain drugs. Sometimes, people invent problems just to get them.

It's really absurd.

-m

[womble2.livejournal.com]

Yes, and doctors give patients what they ask for. Or at least, patients' requests do affect prescribing. (This is hardly surprising, is it?)

haiku response

[northernflights.livejournal.com]

A happy couple!
Television and good drugs:
like beer and football.

[(Anonymous)]

The doctor is still the one that is required to write the prescription and the purpose of the advertising is to make the consumer ask for that particular brand, even if it is not the most effective one for the condition. Also most of the knowledge that doctors have about medications is from the drug companies and so is also vey biased.

[malpingu.livejournal.com]

For the same reason advertisers target kids with toys, not the parents who will have to buy them.

follow the money

[kevin mark (from livejournal.com)]

Supposedly Drug companies spend more on advertising than on R & D because the ROI. These adds spout about rather general sounding symtoms like 'restless leg's or anxiety and folks seems to have lots of both of these to warrant stupid doctors to give them pills for little medical reason other then to let them leave with a 'magic pill' like havitol (google that if you dont know it)

[fvinnash.livejournal.com]

Well, in my case, it allowed for a conversation opener with my doctor when I was asking about migraine medications - I asked about Immitrix, and found out that I can't use it because I already have slightly high blood pressure, and one of the side effects is elevated blood pressure.

So, I asked my doctor, and my doctor said, "Let's consider that absolutely last case scenario."

[calla-lily.livejournal.com]

I feel like it's a relatively new thing, like in the last ten years or so. It REALLY burns me up 'cuz pharmaceutical costs are through the roof, and there are so many people in this country who can't afford prescriptions they desperately need. The drug companies say that their prices have to be that high because it's so expensive to develop them; in which case, I think they have no business spending millions upon millions on advertising. It should be against the law.

[auzure-skies.livejournal.com]

Although... I've usually self-diagnosed my problem before I see a doctor and have to argue them into giving me referrals to specialists. I realise that part of having a very physical job is that I understand most injuries, so having a doctor telling me to "just rest [insert body part here]" isn't good enough. Injuries need proper treatment, usually by phisiotherapists.

[motherinlawtree.livejournal.com]

Yes they do come in and ask for the specific drug. In one case I said, that's one I don't prescribe because of the health warnings, but she was not deterred. In spite of the fact that she identified specific food choices that she could avoid but didn't want to, which would have cleared up her symptoms without medication. I prescribed a tiny amount so she could see for herself how it would be for her, and in the mail next day received a further more stringent health warning against that very drug, which I phoned and told her about.

Most people will accept the explanations; she was at the extreme end.

Someone recommended Havitol, but have they tried Pacifex (also a spoof) or heard the songs "I pop pills" by Nate Bucklin or "the Drugs I Need" (author?)