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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,709
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light


@SloopJohnB wrote:

@PINKdogWOOD I agree.  Seems they banned the selling of cigarettes and hard liquor but allow drug ads. 

 

By the same token, lawyer advertisements were once considered a no no & now they are all over the channels. 


@SloopJohnB,  have you not seen the ads for vodka, bourbon, scotch and whiskey and other hard liquors?

The eyes through which you see others may be the same as how they see you.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,923
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light

Doctors get a lot of pressure from the drug companies too.  Have you ever been sitting in the doctor's office waiting on your appointent and some nicely dressed person comes in, usually rolling a little cart, and basically just waltzes into the office?  That's a drug rep and they are there to push their products.  Have you ever had your doctor give you samples of something to try?  They got it from the drug rep.  

 

The listing of possible side effects and drug interactions is an FDA requirement much like the American Bar Association requirment for attorney ads that state "No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers

 

An article in Scientific American indicates that drug companies are including minor side effects in their ads to dilute the side effects.  In other words, they have found that when the ad includes both major and minor side effects, the viewer downplays the possible severity of the drug.  

 

I have to wonder if all those people going into their physician and demanding these drugs they see on TV have looked into whether their insurance will actually pay for them.  My ACA drug company (the only one available to me) will only cover generics.  So, when I was originally on Crestor, which my doctor recommended, I was paying a lot of money each month.  I didn't respond well to it, so we ended up on a generic Simvastatin which works for me without the bad side effects and it relatively cheap.  

 

I at least had the opportunity of checking my insurance about bone drugs when he had me come in to talk about my bone scan results several years ago, so I flat out refused Prolia which was going to cost over $1000 per shot twice a year.  I actually never even filled the prescription for the generic and ended up with good bone scan results after taking a supplement instead.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,263
Registered: ‎04-25-2020

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light

@Marp  No, I guess I must miss those.  I only see beer commercials.

I would give everything I own just to have you back again.......David Gates of Bread
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,871
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light

I was under the impression that the drugs advertised on TV are newer drugs.  Unless desperate, I would prefer tried and true meds, not newer ones.

 

Those ads go on so long, so you know they are expensive.  And everyone looks so happy and healthy, attractive people.  I find them annoying and mute the TV.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,733
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light


@Spurt wrote:

@lovesrecess wrote:
We would all probably stop taking all meds if we looked at the “ possible” side effects. Everything listed is due to the advice of their attorneys, but some that include “you may stop breathing or go blind” would make me steer clear of those!

 

@lovesrecess 

 

Yep, the side effects are worse than their current medical condition in a lot of cases---drugs that cause heart attacks, cancer etc etc are not worth the risk..... 


 


@Spurt, the only ones with serious, even possibly deadly that I think might be worth taking are the ones that target those whose disease is terminal but might give them more time.


~Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle~ Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,776
Registered: ‎02-13-2021

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light

I agree with your observations about medical ads from  pharmaceutical companies.  They are everywhere.  One right after the other.  The ones that concern me the most are those with life threatening side affects.  The condition being treated is minimal (probably an annoyance) that one could possibly just live with; rather than risk the potential of the deadly and serious side affects mentioned in those ads.

 

Risk vs. benefit.  Sometimes the risk outweighs the benefit for some of these meds.





A Negative Mind ~ Will give you a Negative Life
Honored Contributor
Posts: 23,835
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light


@lovesrecess wrote:
We would all probably stop taking all meds if we looked at the “ possible” side effects. Everything listed is due to the advice of their attorneys, but some that include “you may stop breathing or go blind” would make me steer clear of those!

@lovesrecess   The best line yet. "May cause death". Oh yea! I want that drug!👏

Super Contributor
Posts: 254
Registered: ‎08-02-2019

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light


@ROMARY wrote:

Imo, we should be thankful that the advertisers are listing all of the side effects.

 

 

I believe the listing of the side effects may be a legal requirement and not a gift from the advertiser.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,324
Registered: ‎04-28-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light

Well then, (said in a nice way), thank to the USA.

 

Can you imagine what would happen if the manufacturers/advertisers didn't have to list the possible side effects?

 

Complete mayhem.  Thousands of commercials without lists of side effects.

 

Oh, well.  Wishing all of us the best of health possible.

 

 

'More or less', 'Right or wrong', 'In general', and 'Just thinking out loud ' (as usual).
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,414
Registered: ‎07-25-2010

Re: Seeing Medication Ads in a New Light

I find it very annoying.  Medication is something that should be discussed with a doctor not off of some ad on TV.  No wonder prescriptions cost so much, we are paying for this stupid advertising.