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Televised drug advertisements

Here in America (or New Zealand, one of only two countries that allow this), it’s impossible to sit down and watch a new episode of your favorite TV show without seeing at least one ad for a new drug for sale. Direct to consumer advertising of prescription drugs increases demand for drugs that may be unnecessary, raises the cost of the drug for the consumer, and, although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) attempts to monitor claims made by drug manufacturers, they are unable to do so all of the time.

Advertising is meant to increase demand for a product. When I see an ad on TV for a new sweater, I know that it is meant to sell me the sweater. Prescription drug ads are the same. Ads increase the demand for the product being sold. People watching the ad will go to their doctor and ask about the medication that they saw on the TV or internet, or heard about on the radio. Studies have shown that increases in advertising have lead to increases in initiation of testosterone treatment, use of antidepressant medication, and prescriptions for asthma medications. One medication in particular, varenicline (Chantix), a smoking cessation aid, was prescribed at a much higher rate after advertisements were launched, followed by a steep decline in prescriptions after the FDA issues a public health advisory for the drug due to concerns about side-effects. A new drug such as this one is advertised to the public directly after being approved by the FDA, potentially being prescribed to many more people due to ads when the risks of the drug are still not completely known.

According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, between 1997 and 2016 spending for direct to consumer advertising for all types of healthcare service increased from $2 billion to $10 billion. Of this, $6 billion went toward ads for drugs. During this same time period, out of pocket costs for drugs went from $116.5 billion to $328.6 billion (after accounting for industry discounts and rebates). In 1997, the FDA allowed the side effects of medications to be stated instead of shown as text on screen, making drug commercials shorter, meaning more could be shown. Although there are other reasons for increases in out of pocket drug costs, paying for drug ads is one of the them.

The FDA is tasked with monitoring how drug manufacturers are advertising their products. TV ads must be sent to the FDA before being shown to the public. The FDA then evaluates the ad and sends it back to the manufacturer with comments if necessary. They also monitor radio ads. The internet needs to be monitored as well. The FDA is understaffed as it is and can’t possibly be expected to monitor every instance of advertising on every medium, especially on the internet. Drug manufactures have Facebook pages, Twitter and Instagram accounts, and Youtube channels, along with other profiles for various websites. Online, help-seeking ads are frequently used, where the manufacturer can share information about a disease without naming a medication, so no need to list risk information. But, making sure that a medication isn’t named needs to be monitored, and this is a huge undertaking that would be almost impossible to handle.

Those who are in favor of direct to consumer advertising may argue that ads can provide education about the disease that the ad is referencing. While this may be true to some extent, ads are actually longer while provided less education regarding health. Ads in 2016 actually provide less educational information than they did in 2004. Some may also argue that ads can lead to a conversation with a doctor. While watching the ad may make me want to talk to my doctor, not everyone will be happy with their doctor’s response. Some will continue to push to be prescribed the drug they saw and some doctors may prescribe it even against their patient’s best interest.

Jillian Roupp

Mansfield

Submitted via Virtual Newsroom

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