Why do pharm companies advertise to non doctors??

The study found that Americans in Sacremento were twice as likely as people in Vancouver to ask for new —and often costly— brand name drugs.

The study also found that those who asked for a specific drug they'd seen advertised got it almost 75 per cent of the time.

Ok so this is a really big issue for me, why is it that I see medication adds on tv, hear them on the radio and see themon the sides of busses?

(1) I am not a doctor, therefore it is not my place to really even know what some drug is for as well as side effect information, what can be taken with it and so on and so forth. Am I to believe that because I have seen a comercial for a specific drug and may or may not have related symptoms that I should be the one asking my medical provider for said drug? have they lost their minds? Iam not medicly qualified so why are the pharmisutical companies targeting me(and you) for an add campagin?

(2) I believe that part of a doctor's training and education involves alot on the subject of drugs and their appropriate usage, it should go like this.... Paitent sees medical provider(doctor) and describes the symptoms they currently experience, doctor then utilizes his or her experience/ education to determine a dianosis followed by the recomendation and or perscribing of a medication to treat said symptoms.

(3) The reality: Paitent enters the healthcare provider's office with the pre determined knowledge of exactly what is "wrong" with them as well as wich percriptions they will be leaving with (as long as the hmo covers them..reminder ask the M.A before seeing doctor for samples so as to avoid costly refills.) Doctor enters room already knowing (from M.A's report) most times with script(s) already in hand, feels around looks in throat and nose askes some questions and hi tails it out of there.

Imo, this is very close to how it acctually goes down millions of times a day accross the U.S every day, why drugs marketed to consumers instead of being marketed to the people with the athority to dispense them asuming that the doctors would of course not perscribe someone something that was not needed. Maybe any doctors here could answer this for me or at least make some sense of it.

(4) Could these advertisements make a healthy person believe that they may benifit form said drug and subconciously "develope? related symptoms thus demanding that their healthcare provider perscribe for them?

(5) Doctors are paid to "push" certain drugs and they repeat information given to them by the pharm companies literature to conensise with DTC marketing (direct to consumer) so by that they really get paid extra to agree with you having seen a drug add that you believe would benifit you given it will not harm you although have you ever really read a list of possible side effects( scary)
As always thoughts welcome as well as explainations if any are availible.

Sources
www.cbc.ca...
www.vaughns-1-pagers.com...
www.forbes.com...

Because as a patient you could have some say as to what medications you are prescribed. Especially in cases where there are several medicines that do the same sort of thing. Take erectile dysfunction drugs for example.

reply to post by Resinveins

Ok I agree with that but in terms of the general question I posed, I dont think it is right for the drugs to directly advertised to the consumer, your example:

Because as a patient you could have some say as to what medications you are prescribed. Especially in cases where there are several medicines that do the same sort of thing. Take erectile dysfunction drugs for example.

This scenario involves the paitent giving input into their care but based on what cost, effect, what they have been told by the add? I agree in paitent involvment but not to the extent of suggesting drugs for their own care I do not dissagree however with having multiple choices as one could benefit from say a combination of medications to treat a current or chronic problem I do however think that the responsibility lies with the care provider to present reccomendations to the paitient not the other way around.

reply to post by alyosha1981


"I do however think that the responsibility lies with the care provider to present recommendations to the patient not the other way around."

But in the end, the decision should be one's own, right?

Canadians are protected from a lot of the Direct to Consumer Advertising that large pharmaceuticals in the U.S. are able to exploit. Recently, two bills were proposed in an attempt to introduce this in Canada, but have miserably failed, thanks to great public awareness and petitioning. Here is the bill below, which would have made the Canadian pharmaceutical industry a lot more like that of the U.S, had it passed.

www2.parl.gc.ca...

[edit on 14-12-2008 by cognoscente]

Pharmaceutical companies' primary goal is not to cure disease and alleviate human suffering.

It's to make money.

Really. In fact, as corporations, they're required that their primary purpose is to 'maximize shareholder return'. And if that means making a decision between marketing a drug that cures a disease, for the cost of a single $10 pill, or marketing a drug that manages a disease, but requires a constant $200 a month prescription, what will make them the most money?

Of course, a bad public image costs money! So, billions are spent each year on convincing the public that the pharmaceutical companies are "searching for cures", and "care about the public", above all other concerns.

As long as you don't die, and stop providing a revenue stream, the most profitable thing for a drug company is that you keep purchasing their drug, regardless if it's the correct one for you.

Have you watched TV lately?

Tons of advertisements for Pharmaceutical companies drugs.

I firmly beleive that Big Pharma's goal is to bring as many people under their wing, prescribing medincines for which they can then continue to prescribe for the side effects.