Watch Out for Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising

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Watch Out for Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising

 

 

 

In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules for drug

advertising on television and radio. Since that time, the airwaves

have

been flooded with commercials for all sorts of drugs. Some of them

are

vague, with a simple " Ask your doctor if drug x is right for you " ;

others spell out what the drug is used for and devote the commercial

to

telling you how much you will appreciate your product. Most

consumers

will probably assume that these commercials are honest, that the

drugs

will do what the ads say they will do, and that there are no side

effects other than those mentioned in the ad. That may not be true,

and

consumers should be aware that the ads may not tell the whole story,

and

that they may be misleading.

 

The pharmaceutical industry spends $9 billion per year advertising

their

products, and the money they spend on television and radio ads is

probably the most effective. Doctors may be skeptical of a product

touted by a salesman, but consumers are easily swayed by television

ads

that show people living happy, productive lives while being treated

for

an ailment using the advertised product. Unfortunately, these ads

may

not be completely honest. In 2004, the FDA investigated thirty-six

ads

for drugs that the agency found to be misleading or incomplete in

their

descriptions of side effects. Consumers might think that the

commercials

must be honest, since the FDA wouldn't allow dishonest commercials

to

air. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The FDA does not require

pharmaceutical companies to provide screening copies of their

advertisements prior to airing. The FDA doesn't actually see the ads

until the consumers do. Several months may pass before the FDA takes

action. In the case of misleading advertising, the most the FDA can

usually do is ask the companies to either stop running the ads or to

change them. These requests aren't always timely, however. In the

last

five years, the FDA has asked the drug companies to stop running

several

ads that had already stopped running!

 

What this means for consumers is that some doubt should be exercised

while viewing a commercial for a new drug. If you think an

advertised

product may be useful to you, discuss it with your physician, but

ask if

they know of any problems associated with the product. Research the

product on the Internet. When your health is at stake, a little

caution

may be a good idea.

 

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of

Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including

Bextra-Info.net, a site devoted to the withdrawn drug Bextra and

Vioxx.

http://www.onlinebuffalo.com/medicine/35723.php