Summary: The Impact Of Direct-To-Consumer Advertising

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In 2012 $3.1 billion dollars was spent on advertising prescription drugs directly to consumers. These ads appeal to emotions and usually show a brighter and balanced picture once the drug has been taken, they also trivialize the side-effects by saying them exceedingly quick. The advocates for the ads claim that they encourage ill people to seek medical help and inform them of treatment options. Those who oppose the ads say that they misinform patients and are essentially leading society to the normalization and overuse of drugs. Prescription drug ads encourage the use of drugs and misinform people about the risks of their drugs. The proponents of drug advertisements contend that these ads inform consumers about treatable health conditions…show more content…
But the majority of the physicians surveyed agreed that the ads make the drugs seem better than they actually are. “About 75 percent of physicians surveyed believed that DTC ads cause patients to think that the drug works better than they do, and many physicians felt some pressure to prescribe something when patients mentioned DTC ads.” (The Impact of Direct-To-Consumer Advertising) Due to the ads, around eighty percent of physicians said that they felt pressured to prescribe the name-brand rather than what may actually be in the patient's best interest, the ads misinform patients on what drug would be best for them. The name-brand costs 30-80% more than the generic, non- advertised drugs according to the article “Should Prescription Drugs Be Directly Advertised to…show more content…
Also, as of now, only two countries in the world allow prescription drug advertisement, the United States and New Zealand. “In 2007 the pharmaceutical industry was estimated to be spending $4.8 billion dollars a year advertising prescription drugs directly to the public. In 2008, the sale of prescription drugs was a $291 billion dollar a year business in the United States.” (Should Prescription Drugs Be Advertised Directly to Consumers?) Eighty-one percent of doctors surveyed in 2013, believe that advertised prescription drugs promote drug overuse. Prescription drug ads imply that drugs are needed to improve health, but they don’t show that health can be improved through diet and/or
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