The Media, Pharmaceutical Companies, and Consumers - Brief Article

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), May, 2000 by Joe Saltzman

TURN ON your television set or pick up your favorite magazine and there they are, snazzy commercials and advertisements hawking the latest prescription drugs for every conceivable mild or even serious malady that seems to plague 21st-century Americans: heartburn, allergies, mood and anxiety problems, motion sickness, overactive bladders, cholesterol, smoking addiction, arthritis, even mild diabetes. Pharmaceutical companies have come out of the doctor's office and plunged right into your living room. Instead of trying to persuade pharmacists and physicians about their latest products, they're going directly to the consumers. The hype is the kind usually reserved for automobiles or beauty products. You almost feel un-American if you ignore their pitches and don't run to your doctor demanding that green, yellow, or purple pill that is guaranteed to solve all of your problems:

"Is anxiety overwhelming you?" Then a barrage of questions surrounding a frazzled cartoon female: "I can't sleep. I'm worried. I can't concentrate. I'm so restless. Why am I so irritable? My muscles ache. I feel tense. I'm always tired." Then the friendly advice: "Is that you feeling crushed by an onslaught of excessive worry? Good thing there's something you can do about it. A medication called BuSpar can help."

"24 Hours of Complete Heartburn Relief is Possible with the Purple Pill They Call Prilosec." A woman dressed in a dazzling purple dress frees herself from a yellow clock surrounded by flying purple pills as the advertisement declares: "It's Prilosec Time if you suffer from painful, persistent heartburn two or more days a week."

"What's an effective way to treat your nasal allergy symptoms?" A toy dog is on an artificial lawn. "A. Buy an artificial lawn. B. Buy an artificial pet. C. Try Nasonex. Nasonex helps relieve your nasal allergy symptoms both indoors and out."

"Has social anxiety put your life on hold?" A box labeled Yes is checked in red. "You are not alone. Social anxiety disorder affects over 10,000,000 Americans. Social anxiety disorder is an intense, persistent fear and avoidance of social situations. The extreme fear of being judged or embarrassed can put a life on hold.... Paxil is the only medication proved effective and approved by the FDA for the treatment of social anxiety disorder. Ask your doctor about Paxil today ... your life is waiting!"

A bowl of water is spilling over. The headline reads: "An Overactive Bladder Can Be an Accident Waiting to Happen ... Overactive bladder is a medical condition that affects an estimated 17,000,000 Americans. And now it may be effectively treated for up to 24 hours with a single dose of new Ditropan XL."

A cartoon sun and a happy day. The same cartoon with a cloud and rain. It's now a sad day. What's the difference? Prozac.

On the back of each print advertisement in very small type is a detailed scientific analysis of the prescription drug involved, including all the possible side effects, ranging from headaches and fatigue to strokes or kidney malfunction, depending on the specific drug and the malady it is trying to relieve. On television, a soothing voice casually mentions the possible side effects as the images on the screen reflect peace of mind and body at last. Tired of sneezing from allergies? Worried about that overactive bladder? Just plain depressed or anxious? Get your doctor to prescribe the advertised product and all will be well.

Physicians and pharmacists used to worry that over-the-counter drugs were being sold too casually by ad agencies hired to make one similar product seem better than the other. But everyone has been conspicuously silent when it comes to the blatant selling of serious prescription drugs that can have a dramatic effect on an individual's mind and body.

Prozac was one of the first serious mood-altering drugs to be sold in the marketplace like soap or cereal. Since it is dispensed by any physician and not just psychiatrists, the abuse of this drug has been well documented in the medical literature. Now anyone watching a commercial or reading a cartoon-dominated print advertisement can rush to the dermatologist and get the mind-altering drug; no voice-therapy supplied. Other pharmaceutical companies followed suit with their own drugs to combat anxiety and other mental conditions. Patients who don't know the difference between aspirin and acetaminophen (Bayer or Tylenol), now know all about the soothing qualities of Prozac, Paxil, and BuSpar because they saw it on television or read about it in a magazine.

Pharmaceutical companies have decided to go directly to consumers with their prescription products to quickly distinguish their allergy medication or mood-altering drug from the competition. What better way than having the consumer go in and ask for their product by name? A physician faced with a variety of similar drugs taking care of the same problem doesn't really care which drug he prescribes since the days when pharmaceutical companies used to send doctors on trips and give them gifts for using their products are long gone.