Eliquis Xeljanz Farciga Belsomra Xarelto Jelubia Neulasta Linjess Toujeo Humira Otezla.
No, your eyes aren’t failing, and that’s not Azerbaijani either. It’s but a handful of prescription medications being advertised to consumers on television and in print media.
Billions are spent on direct to consumer advertising of drugs each year. (prescriptiondrug.drugcon.org)
Surely you have seen at least one of these commercials and the string of warnings you might encounter if you take them. Depending on the drug, it could cause internal bleeding, blackouts, dizziness, and may even cause you to contemplate suicide or to gamble.
They are marketed to treat conditions like, arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, reflux, depression, Alzheimer’s, bladder control, prostate, sexual dysfunction and a host of other maladies.
If you are like me, these commercials are really annoying and distasteful, no matter how creative the advertiser presents typical usage outcome scenarios.
You may not be aware the United States and New Zealand are the only two countries that permit what has become known as direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advertising (DTCPA).
Some people want the Food & Drug Administration to stop such advertising, but as the drug-approving agency, it has chosen not to with the belief that the physician prescribing the drug constitutes a reasonable precaution. The FDA does look at the accuracy of statements made in these ads.
Is the advertising working? It must be. After this type of advertising was relaxed in 1997, pharmaceuticals spent some $1.2 billion in 1998 before quadrupling to $5 billion in 2006 and 2007. Some $1 billion is also spent on Internet advertising.
When it comes to “ask your doctor if it’s right for you,” research based on recordings of conversations in physicians’ offices suggest, however, that most patients aren’t asking for drugs by name, but they are asking more about scary side effects given in ad nauseam in the commercials.
The commercials increase awareness, informing viewers about illnesses, symptoms and treatments they may know little about. Those who haven’t visited their doctor recently may choose to do so.
A 2013 study of 100,000 adults found that men and women who had exposure to DTCPA for statin drugs were 16 to 22 per cent more likely to receive a diagnosis of high cholesterol, and were more than likely to be prescribed statins. A recent Wharton School study reported that statin advertising generated $34 billion in sales in 2007.
Those who favor DTCPA say it informs and empowers patients while promoting dialogue with their doctor.
Those in opposition say DTPCA misinforms viewers and its detailed side effect risks cause undue concern about the drug safety. If anything, they would like to see it further deregulated. They believe there is an overemphasis on drug benefits, while pointing to a survey that revealed that 50 per cent of respondents thought the ads were approved by the government, and 43 per cent thought that the drug had to be completely safe for it to be advertised.
It has been estimated that the average TV viewer sees as many as nine drug ads a day, totaling 16 hours a year. While you may mute the ads, don’t expect DTCPA to end soon.
“Do you fall asleep at night and wake up in the morning?” – Comedian Chris Rock predicting an ad he expected to see some day.
