a question for the doctors. drug ads on TV?

[vash]

do you get patients requesting certian drugs based on the onslaught of drug commercials we see on television?

i just saw one for eyelash thickening! unbelievable.

is the self diagnosis a big, new thing?

cliff

[IROC]

I think ads for prescription drugs should be forbidden. Drug companies currently spend more money per year on marketing than R&D and we wonder why health care costs so much...

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by IROC

I think ads for prescription drugs should be forbidden. Drug companies currently spend more money per year on marketing than R&D and we wonder why health care costs so much...

+1. My pharmacist g/f was always griping about this. Between TV and the Internet, everyone is a medical expert.

[PorscheGAL]

Originally Posted by IROC

I think ads for prescription drugs should be forbidden. Drug companies currently spend more money per year on marketing than R&D and we wonder why health care costs so much...

Ironically, If a medical company announces they are spending more on their R&D, shareholders dump the stock (average 10-15 % drop) but if they spend more on advertising the product or drugs they have stockholders don't dump them.

[Vipergrün]

If ya listen to all of the warnings in the commercials, why the hell would you want to take the stuff? "May cause yer nutz to fall off, may cause heart attacks, in some cases death was experienced. Headaches and other abnormalities may occur"

Riiiight, I'll take being a little depressed any day

[bell]

The wifey and I always laugh at the symptoms which may be brought on by the ads......sure the drug will make you less depressed but wil cause explosive diahria.....isn't that a catch 22......

[widebody911]

Ever been tempted to take the weight loss med Alli? Here's a breakdown of the side effects.

FWIW: Alli is the OTC of Orlistat; the OTC version is just 1/2 the normal dosage.

[fingpilot]

The ad for the eyelashes... Brooke Sheilds needed them for years. I wonder how much she got paid to do that ad.

[Rick Lee]

They should be able to run whatever ads they want. But I can't say I've ever even noted the names of any of the less common drugs and certainly never thought to ask my doctor about them. Those ads are totally wasted on me.

[Noah930]

Actually, the meds most frequently requested by patients of mine are narcotics that seem to have worked well for friends of theirs. Norco is the popular request, right now.

[Tobra]

Yup, and you don't have to advertise narcotics, they sell themselves.

I get people asking me about meds they saw in an ad.

I have not given someone a prescription they asked for ever.

[rammstein]

My favorite is where one of the side effects is the very thing the drug us suppoed to treat, like asthma medicine that may cause shortness of breath.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by IROC

I think ads for prescription drugs should be forbidden. Drug companies currently spend more money per year on marketing than R&D and we wonder why health care costs so much...

right...medicine is the "only" thing driving health care costs up

[artplumber]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

right...medicine is the "only" thing driving health care costs up

Not the only thing, but certainly not helping.

Direct marketing is not appropriate.

[dhoward]

It is for "lifestyle" drugs.

[artplumber]

Originally Posted by dhoward

It is for "lifestyle" drugs.

Not even for them. Are patients really able to understand the risks/benefits and background data (scientific evidence for or against use of) for each of these drugs? (Not to be interpreted as everyone in the general public is not intelligent or not in science, but as common sense "Patients generally do not have the information at their fingertips which would make them informed enough to know if a drug was required and the relative strengths/weaknesses etc)

[dhoward]

Of course not. (Sometimes I just assume thye green is implied.) It's about the cash.

[pwd72s]

Actually, if you need a drug? Always ask your doc if there is a generic substitute...

[Tobra]

Unless the drug is coumadin. I have had too many smart doctors tell me they would never take generic coumadin.

Originally Posted by artplumber

Not the only thing, but certainly not helping.

Direct marketing is not appropriate.

+1 to that

[widebody911]

I learned a new word today: cyberchondria