Senators Propose Ban on Drug Advertising to Consumers

[ALiberalModerate]

The problem with that is doctors don’t make money by treating the sniffles. They make money by pushing pharmaceutical products in exchange for a slice of the profits. Doctors aren’t just doctors - they’re salesmen. As such, they don’t always act in the best interest of the patient. Hence the opioid crisis.

We shouldn’t be contributing to that by inspiring consumers who don’t know what they’re talking about to pressure doctors and pharmacists for prescriptions.

Doctors actually make far more on procedures. Total drug spending is only 9.2% of healthcare spending. It just gets most of the blame because consumers pay for them directly often.

 

[aociswundumho]

As to information? The information content of most of these approaches 0.

I remember at the end of these drug commercials, they usually list a mile-long string of unpleasant side effects, which actually seems like pretty useful information to have.

 

[HenryChinaski]

Some do, some don't.



You keep talking about side effects. Those are a requirement and are also included in the drug's information package.

I'm not sure why you're hung up on it.

Why would I ask my doctor about a drug that might cause ‘swollen taint, convulsions or in rare cases death’?
Ohhh hey Doc, can you tell me more about this drug that might swell my taint?

 

[Safiel]

And if they are going to keep advertising, the advertiser should be required to keep the list price prominently displayed for the entire length of the commercial.

Miebo has a list price of $1,437 for 5 milliliters (one month). $17,244 for a year's supply.

Miebo, Oh Yeah suddenly becomes Miebo, Oh Shit!

And I don't care that the consumer may not pay that much. You are still paying in the form of increased insurance premiums, because the insurer has to pay or the government insurer of last resort.

 

[NOLA Dude]

The problem with that is doctors don’t make money by treating the sniffles. They make money by pushing pharmaceutical products in exchange for a slice of the profits. Doctors aren’t just doctors - they’re salesmen. As such, they don’t always act in the best interest of the patient. Hence the opioid crisis.

We shouldn’t be contributing to that by inspiring consumers who don’t know what they’re talking about to pressure doctors and pharmacists for prescriptions.

Exactly. Its a corrupt system that the doctors are stuck in so the ones who want to actually help people are threatened if they stray from that system that only helps big pharma.

 

[HenryChinaski]

Well they obviously are or they wouldn't be doing the advertising.



My own example - Shingles vaccine - was not a medical problem. It was a preventive treatment for a condition I learned about via the advertising.

When they were advertising cigarettes on TV, sales spiked,
Drugs that might ‘swell my nut sack’ , cause me to speak in tongues or in worst case scenarios ‘ kill me’ shouldn’t be advertised on TV, especially when I’m eating pizza and trying to relax.

 

[NOLA Dude]

The 2024 Pay for Performance Program

www.ilyouthcare.com

 

[HenryChinaski]

And for the record, I’m not against any of these drugs. I have no skin in that game. I just personally don’t want to see them advertised on TV.

 

[Peter]

We don't have drug adverts in the UK.

 

[Gaius46]

I remember at the end of these drug commercials, they usually list a mile-long string of unpleasant side effects, which actually seems like pretty useful information to have.

You can't make a reasoned determination of
whether the side effects are an issue without
at least knowing the frequency of them
and potentially other information about the populations most at risk for those side effects.

 

[dseag2]

I will miss people with Diabetes dancing through the streets.

 

[dmpi]

When advertising helps consumers make an inform decision then it's a plus. Drug ads might help consumers know what's out there so they can ask their doctors. The downside is someone is paying for those ads and that cost is rolled into the price of the drug.

 

[Metric Mouse]

All I can say is, I am really sick of being BOMBARDED all day long with literally HUNDREDS of back to back pharma ads.
But the most ridiculous part is, all these ads have somber black box warnings where the voice-over warns of serious side effects, and Americans rush out and buy these drugs anyway.

But just WHISPER the WORD "VACCINE" and half the country loses their shit.

View attachment 67574535

I keep saying that they should have marketed the vaccines the way they market WeGovy or Rixulti.

Biden cared more about you being sick of advertising than he did about promoting the vaccine.

Let that sink in. And Bernie wants to cut this down for every other medication.

 

[Threegoofs]

Advertising happens because these products are extremely high margin, and you don’t need much additional prescriptions to pay for the advertising cost- and it will increase profits.

Those profits go to shareholders, obviously, but they also go to fun astronomically expensive and risky research and development programs.

If you cut advertising, you significantly impair profits and cut those risky programs, and you end up with less useful drugs in a decade.

Advertising also helps increase awareness of drugs- I think of statins, which continue to be underused, and how TV ads really increased usage and clearly had a positive effect on the nations health because of it.

 

[CimpleMan]

Advertising happens because these products are extremely high margin, and you don’t need much additional prescriptions to pay for the advertising cost- and it will increase profits.

Those profits go to shareholders, obviously, but they also go to fun astronomically expensive and risky research and development programs.

If you cut advertising, you significantly impair profits and cut those risky programs, and you end up with less useful drugs in a decade.

Advertising also helps increase awareness of drugs- I think of statins, which continue to be underused, and how TV ads really increased usage and clearly had a positive effect on the nations health because of it.

Think you have a conflict of interest in this matter.

Innovation is important so maybe we need a compromise. Think most can agree proliferation of aggressive advertising for many drugs is a negative.

 

[NOLA Dude]

Advertising happens because these products are extremely high margin, and you don’t need much additional prescriptions to pay for the advertising cost- and it will increase profits.

Those profits go to shareholders, obviously, but they also go to fun astronomically expensive and risky research and development programs.

If you cut advertising, you significantly impair profits and cut those risky programs, and you end up with less useful drugs in a decade.

Advertising also helps increase awareness of drugs- I think of statins, which continue to be underused, and how TV ads really increased usage and clearly had a positive effect on the nations health because of it.

That's exactly what big pharma would say to defend the practice and its not even close to being true.

The advertising happens so big pharma can keep the news networks from reporting anything negative about them because the news networks depend on the advertising revenue.

 

[CLAX1911]

Bernie Sanders and Angus King co-sponsor a bill that would prohibit consumer drug ads, echoing calls by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during his presidential campaign

Sens. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Angus King (I., Maine) introduced a bill Thursday that would ban pharmaceutical manufacturers from using direct-to-consumer advertising, including social media, to promote their products.

The bill would prohibit any promotional communications targeting consumers, including through television, radio, print, digital platforms and social media. It will apply to all prescription drug advertisements.

“The American people don’t want to see misleading and deceptive prescription drug ads on television,” Sanders said in a statement. “They want us to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry and ban these bogus ads.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/senators-to-propose-ban-on-drug-advertising-to-consumers-9ad257c2?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAh08rw1K3wd_Iq6daCc6SB_KKUxLiI58eHhD1r5nRQzOGzgEpOQnCXoqrI9yG0%3D&gaa_ts=684c84b5&gaa_sig=r-ockDJ1Qe8MrJ0f08TOpJ2IDgsAi3LAby0PRaEzLbARBtFVjbPPkdm3CYwxtMVSiY3j6Z_xHfAlMP4r0k8G6w%3D%3D

Bravo to Sanders and King! This should be a bipartisan issue. Only one other country in the world allows pharmaceutical advertising on television.

Yeah it seems a little weird to me it's like this commercial comes on that says "hey, you know that doctor of yours, he doesn't know shit. So tell him you want to take our drug. He just got a medical degree what good is that? You heard some jackass on TV blather through all the side effects so fast you didn't catch them all, and you noticed that man with a mustache he just spoke to you.

So tell your doctor, "shut your textbooks dummy I want this drug."

What a bizarre proposition

 

[CLAX1911]

What is the harm in that advertising?

What's the point other than to try and badger your doctor and prescribing you something you don't really need?

I see them on American networks that are part of my cable package.

Thanks to that advertising I know about some new pharmaceutical developments I might not have been aware of.

Most drug adds are trying to sell you something. Not inform you one developments

And yes I know my own MD should tell me about them. Some Doctors do, some don't.

I had a doctor that wasn't a pill pusher but he retired and now I got to find one that isn't.

 

[VySky]

Oh what will I do without seeing endless ads of people line dancing (think thriller) and wonderful endings with grandchildren?

 

[CLAX1911]

Fully support this

No other country has direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising - and this would decrease expenditures by pharmaceutical companies significantly and therefore, also (hypothetically) help decrease the cost to consumers for pharmaceuticals.

I didn't even think about that but you're 100% right how much money do these pharmaceutical companies spend on advertising it's probably a fortune

 

[CLAX1911]

Oh what will I do without seeing endless ads of people line dancing (think thriller) and wonderful endings with grandchildren?

Doing I see a lot is bictarvy or something like that and jardiance. They're starting to sound kind of like superstitious cults. I have no idea what these drugs are marketed to treat cuz it typically tune out the ads.

 

[VySky]

Doing I see a lot is bictarvy or something like that and jardiance. They're starting to sound kind of like superstitious cults. I have no idea what these drugs are marketed to treat cuz it typically tune out the ads.

They spend more time drilling through the side effects you forget what the drug is supposed to address.

 

[Allan]

What's the point

To inform me of available treatments.

other than to try and badger your doctor and prescribing you something you don't really need?

Why would I badger my doctor to prescribe something I don't need? I see ads for diabetes, lung cancer and TED medications. If I don't have any of those health issues why would I badger my doctor for the treatment?

In addition a doctor isn't going to prescribe a medication for a condition I don't have. It's malpractice and leaves them open to a lawsuit and license review should I suffer from a side effect.

Most drug adds are trying to sell you something. Not inform you one developments

Ads do both.

I had a doctor that wasn't a pill pusher but he retired and now I got to find one that isn't.

A good doctor should do both. Counsel you on lifestyle changes and discuss medications that may help.

 

[Allan]

Oh what will I do without seeing endless ads of people line dancing (think thriller) and wonderful endings with grandchildren?

Drug ads always contain:
1. Grandchildren.
2. People moving in slow motion .

 

[CLAX1911]

To inform me of available treatments.

Your doctor will do that you know he went to medical school to figure that out.

Why would I badger my doctor to prescribe something I don't need?

That's what the advertisements are for.

I see ads for diabetes, lung cancer and TED medications.

Things you can't buy why would your doctor not know about this?

If I don't have any of those health issues why would I badger my doctor for the treatment?

What would be the point of the advertisement?

In addition a doctor isn't going to prescribe a medication for a condition I don't have.

So there's no purpose whatsoever for the advertisements.

It's malpractice and leaves them open to a lawsuit and license review should I suffer from a side effect.

All the more reason to stop advertising.

Ads do both.

I guess he's just false as strictly exists to sell you things.

A good doctor should do both. Counsel you on lifestyle changes and discuss medications that may help.

your doctor, not your TV.