Sort of like we shouldn’t worry about ads targeting children because the parents “can just say no”.
These pharmaceutical ads work also by making people more likely to feel like patients-- that they have a condition that would benefit from medication.
All they have to do is wait for a doctor to be busy— for the moment they don’t want to have “that argument”, when they don’t want to alienate their patient by saying no to what seems like a reasonable request “but the commercial told me so!”. Just have to look at how many fights over giving antibiotics for colds there are, and how many docs just give up because it just isn’t worth it. Instead of targeting the physician (who in theory should know better but evidence shows they are still manipulated-- which is why drug reps are extremely limited in what they can do at my institution), they target the consumer who lacks the knowledge to assess the drug’s value.
Then they are wasting an awful lot of money, and potentially this is a non-problem. If the ads don’t lead to increased sales, then they’re not really influencing anyone. Although if you’re comparing the totality of the industry, then it doesn’t account for competition for marketshare. Eli Lilly would much rather you use Cialis instead of Viagra. Dong-drugs are still being purchased either way and that affects the market’s overall rate of ROI for drugs, but one company is benefiting more than the other.
Every time I see that commercial it makes me sad how much at least half of the Mahna Mahna duo has let itself go.
Menudo Man. Ok, back off everybody! ® © and ‘tm’ (pend). It is MINE! MY name for my next super rock-rap-who-gives-a-shit act who will … [what do you mean… file? File for what…?]
Back in the day when the pharmaceutical industry was lobbying the government to allow these ads, they promised to stop bribing doctors directly.
I kinda like the ads. They inform me that I want to stay far away from prescription meds because they all seem to have side effects that include cancer, death, or both. I can’t help thinking how is dead better than having arthritis pain?
As a Canadian, I am always surprised by the amount of drug ads that actually air in Canada… and then I go to the 'States… y’all really really like your drug ads, its weeeeeeerid!
I asked my doctor “do people come in and ask for the purple pill?” He went off on a rant for about 5 minutes. I’m sure he would be in favor of a ban.
Hey, #NotAllJeffs
(Am I doing it right?)
I had that one recommended by my doc when it had gone OTC as I was not a fan of the way the tagament made me feel tired. Well it didn’t go well, nice big abdominal rash after 2 days. Since I was only having to take that stuff occasionally I just went back to tagament (or whatever the generic equivalent is).
Right, and drugs affect different people in different ways. When trying to pin down a problem I was having, my doctor told me that one of the most important things he has learned is that any drug can have any effect.
Also: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/fighting-fear/201206/determining-the-real-side-effects-drugs After watching one of those commercials I still don’t know how many of those side effects are actually caused by the drug, and if they are, how commonly or in what sub-populations etc.
Similarly, years ago I read an article about waterless urinals (it was in an actual paper magazine, so no link sorry). A company installed them, and people immediately started complaining that the bathroom smelled. They called in the installer, and it turned out the smell was coming from the improperly installed and maintained toilets, not the urinals. So the smell had been there all along, but once the hardware changed people had something to blame it on.
I am having fun with this now for blood pressure. One just sorta works and mildly irritates my throat, the next worked great but also didn’t let me sleep more than an hour or so at best before waking up and this was confirmed by stopping it for 2 weeks and trying again. Trying a 3rd drug now. Getting old sucks… 
Have you tried Cannabis?
Serious question. It can lower blood pressure, aid sleep, and is very effective at damping-down dreams, which IIRC you mentioned a few days ago crazy dreams was a side-effect of one of the medications.
I should since I can legally got get some, yay Washington State… not sure how long the effects would last though and not sure toking (or edibles/whatnot) up every day would be all that good in the long run and probably not good to show up to work under the influence either.
ETA the crazy dreams went away with the drug keeping me awake. and i sleep well enough otherwise.
I’m jealous of your Washington State ability to purchase freely and without hindrance.
Have a chat with your local dispenser, and with their knowledge they’ll be able to fix you up with a strain with the right THC to CBD ratio and the correct strength and dosage.
Not wasted, it’s plausible that well placed ads can enlarge market shares. But the size of the cake will probably remain identical, only the slices can be changed.
Never really thought about this before: Did someone research if a mature market can be increased with marketing?
Just look at the ads for “low T”. Presumably just marketing the drug, but also marketing the condition. These ads are going for both the market share for the condition and also increasing market share for the condition (irritable bowel, irritable bladder, impotence, insomnia, restless legs, depression, fibromyalgia etc)
Looks like that pink slime stuff.
But you can probably still be fired if your employer drug tests you, even if you aren’t under the influence at work (at least, that’s how CO law works).
Up until 1997 it was illegal. The process is regulated by the FDA.
Some info here:
And an FDA paper about it here:
Thank God! When I was little, we didn’t have this. Then, when I was in high school, it started with the douche commercials. Talk about an uncomfortable 60 seconds with mom and dad in front of the tube!
