Say Goodbye to Those Absurd Side-Effects Readouts in Drug Commercials. The FDA finalized a rule that will require a drug’s side effects to be "presented in a clear, conspicuous, and neutral manner.”
Say Goodbye to Those Absurd Side-Effects Readouts in Drug Commercials
How about no drug adverts? Is that really so hard? I don't know a single person who has ever asked their doctor about something they saw on TV.
They're only legal in two countries- the U.S. and New Zealand.
Canada has drug ads, but with special rules. You can either mention the drug name or its indication, but not both.
So you'll get ads that say stuff like "Ozempic - ask your doctor if it's right for you" with people happily eating in a coffeeshop. But they won't tell you what Ozempic is supposed to do.
Had a friend with a parent that was a doctor. Apparently she could tell which commercials were getting pushed more based on what patients kept asking for.
Doc, I think I have moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, menopause, and erectile dysfunction.
I know a few doctors, and they all hate drug commercials (as well as webMD) because patients come in with their self-diagnosis trying to order drugs like it’s a friggin restaurant. One of them told me that even when she clearly informs them that’s not how this works, they regularly get pissed off as she continues to tell them no and doesn’t budge. She also said she knows other less stubborn or principled doctors that give into the pressure, which is exactly how big pharmaceutical companies like it.
It's obviously working. These companies aren't spending millions of $ on advertising just to have 0 ROI.
I think you're probably right here, but just want to say that I've personally I've worked in multiple companies where they've spent millions on different things with no ROI. So it definitely happens. Sometimes leaders just like an idea and want to spend money on it.
While I agree in principle, there are people with fibromyalgia who wouldn’t know medications exist for it otherwise, because their doctors barely understand fibromyalgia.
I wonder if they should only allow generalized, industry-wide ads that don’t focus on a specific drug, or even company.
You know, like we see ads for broad categories of food, like cheese, beef, and milk, for some reason.
“Did you know that new treatments are available for things like fibromyalgia, depression, and heart disease? Talk to your doctor today!”
Actually about 50% of the time your doctor will give it to you just by you asking. That's why they do this. You're not a person that advertising works on, but remember that the country is filled with monkeys.
Maybe not medications, but people generally write off benign symptoms quickly, and a series of benign symptoms can often be an indication of something more serious.
Then that person sees a commercial and it lists all the symptoms they've been having at once and it makes them go "Hey wait a minute, all those symptoms sound familiar, maybe I should make an appointment"
Iirc there was a study a few years ago that determined that medication commercials can increase the rate people see doctors.
All of the medications that are little more than QoL things. Frequent urinarion. ED. Dry mouth.
Things you wouldn’t normally ask a doctor about being a condition.
Awareness is probably what they're after, and it's probably worth billions to the pharmaceutical industry and the congressmen they own.
I actually did with Ubrelvy for migraines, but it was something my doctor was about to give me samples of anyway.
But where else can I hear that awful “nothing is everything” song?!
That's not very capitalist of you! MURICA! /s
Can we just ban ads for treatments already?
💯
"Ask your doctor about..."
No! The doctor should be telling me about drugs. And only because they actually might fix what's wrong, not because they'll get a kick-back for shoving pills at me.
Kickback thing is kinda a reason to keep the ads tbh... Plenty of docs will 100% insist that the best med for something is whatever brand is plastered all over their calendar, calculator, desk toys, office decorations, etc...
Having ads kinda gives people options their doc wont mention because kickbacks.
I they make advertising so profitable. The media will never let it go
for real. like half the commercials are for pharmaceuticals.
Why is direct marketing of drugs even allowed at all? Because our regulators are captured by corporate money.
How about ads that actually tell you what the hell it does? "Ask your doctor if perflorfinmaxim is right for you". FOR WHAT?
Me: Hey doc, is perflorfinmaxim right for me?
Doc: That's for people who leak pus out of their left pupil, so no
Why do I have a feeling that "conspicuous and neutral" was added there only because pharma companies would otherwise misinterpret "clear" as "see-through"?
Do other countries advertise Rx on TV? Cuz I ain't ever seen it outside the US
From the article, only the US and New Zealand allow Rz drug advertisements.
derp, it was right there on the bottom, thanks
Most countries prohibit it.
In Canada, for example, there are strict limits on what can be said in advertising.
Well, it only took them 40-odd years to deal with a hugely exploited loophole. Thanks for keeping us safe, FDA.
One of my big take aways from a recent trip the US was the drug adverts on TV. Crazy seeing side effects being read out as like "may cause death, will result in an increase of stroke risk, 90% of patients report anal leakage while using Randomdrugoxicam, erectile dysfunction may continue for up to 48 years after treatment has ceased" or whatever and the footage is these happy laughing people in parks throwing their kid up in the air, walking their dog, hugging family etc. Totally dystopian.
They do that to distract you from the side effects. If you see people smiling and laughing you won't think it's bad.
Will it be more or less clear if I'm at risk of taint rash?