GUESTWORK | Ross Wareham
There seems to be no end to commercials for prescription drugs these days. They all seem to feature the same type of generic scenes of people strolling on the beach in billowy clothing, laughing at a cozy family get-together, or looking thoughtful while doing some other activity unrelated to the drug itself.
I remember a time not so long ago when a person had to actually go to a doctor, describe their symptoms, and then wait for the doctor to prescribe a medication that would suit their needs. This, in holding true to the American tradition of meeting any and every need whether we know we need it or not, was not good enough. Now, the ads for prescription drugs will actually describe your symptoms for you and recommend that you talk to your doctor and ask for it by name. Why this doesn’t have more people scratching their heads is beyond me.
The most ridiculous of these ads is fairly new and features a well-known actress with the initials B.S., which seems strangely fitting in this case. What can this life-threatening condition be, you might ask?
Inadequate Lashes. I can only imagine the stunned silence as this revelation spread across the country. At this point, I would hardly be more surprised if the same actress was booked on daytime talk shows so she could speak teary-eyed about her lifelong battle with her debilitating condition. That cure for cancer will just have to wait until there is not a single woman whose eyelashes don’t quite measure up.
As if having countless drug ads proclaiming that you may have various conditions and diseases wasn’t bad enough, they are legally obligated to add a laundry list of side effects that range from laughable to disgusting. I see myself as a fairly progressive person, however, commercials during dinner that feature older men talking genuinely about their “E.D.” has to prompt some fairly uncomfortable conversations from younger kids that might otherwise not have taken place.
Although it feels like they’ve been around forever, DTC or direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads have only been around since 1997 when the FDA changed its policies to make this type of advertising possible. According to various sources, the pharmaceutical industry spends upwards of $30 billion hawking their products. Not all of this is spent on television and print ads. A good portion of it is spent to influence those in the medical profession through samples and other freebies. While some doctors may take offense at the notion that their judgment could possibly be influenced
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