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Wednesday, October, 08, 2008

Prescription Drug Ads Educate Consumers

by  Tracy Davenport
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Tracy Davenport
Tracy Davenport
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Tracy Davenport is an advocate for parents and caregivers of...

Tracy Davenport

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USA Today recently reported that prescription drug ads prompt nearly one-third of Americans to ask their doctors about the advertised medicine. Some wonder if the government should regulate the drug companies and their advertisements. My opinion is these ads are one more way for consumers to become e...
  1. Responsible Prescription Drug Ads Educate Consumers
    Duane Jones
    Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 11:28 AM

    The issue that I have had with prescription drug ads is that most consumers are not educated enough to determine what they should be believing and what is hype. Many of these miracle treatments need to be balanced against what combination of medications a patient is taking. If the doctors themselves don't have time to make sure about the combinations of drugs being prescribed, how can the average consumer be expected to be responsible about these ads in their search to solve their health problems.

     

    It is my belief that pharmaceutical companies are not adequately screening these medications in real world testing before making them available and then they pump up the advertising mill and cause more pressure to be placed on the doctors in the field. Additionally, I don't believe that these companies are really interested in anything except their bottom line.


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  2. I believe the drug ads can be misleading and expensive
    Dee J
    Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 12:03 PM

    Even though they can deduct the cost of advertising from their taxes; I believe they add that to the cost of the drugs we buy which is the difference between other countries that sell the same drugs.  They supply free samples to the doctors and then gifts like meals and trips for the doctor to endorse their products.  I have seen it, I know someone in that field that is told by her company to do this.  We pay for this also. 

          And so many companies have had to redo their misleading ads they should have a censor for them. 

        I would like these ads stopped or slowed down quite a bit. 

    that same friend was told to go into the operating room to sell a product and that doctor told her to assist him.  Untrained salesperson in any operating room should be illegal.

    This goes on all the time according to some articles I have read.  She quit. 


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