Get pharmaceuticals off the air

These days, it seems as though no industry has been left unfazed by the devastating consequences of the current economic meltdown — no industry, that is, except perhaps for pharmaceutical companies, which seem to be faring wonderfully if we consider the millions of dollars they can afford to spend on prime-time television advertising. Their marketing campaigns are effective, too: Every time I see one, my blood pressure rises exponentially, increasing the probability that I'll someday need prescription medication to keep it under control.

Allowing pharmaceuticals to pummel Americans with their relentless, ubiquitous, and unregulated advertising campaigns is a public health hazard. For starters, it creates a society of hypochondriacs. Some may recall a time in the old days when people would first consult with their physicians if they believed that something was wrong with their health. Now, one needn't even leave the couch to be overwhelmed by repeated suggestions of possible ailments that may have no basis in reality. But that doesn't matter to the drug companies, whose goal is to inundate television viewers with a laundry list of health problems that encourage them to entertain the notion — however absurd it might be — that they suffer from whatever condition the drug being advertised purports to treat. Undoubtedly, the frightening result is millions of Americans who request to be placed on prescriptions they don't need simply because they were brainwashed through relentless repetition to believe they do. Are there really doctors who would honor such a misguided request without first confirming the need for it? If so, that's a really scary thought. If not, such advertising is pointless anyway.

Perhaps even worse is the message these commercials send to millions of Americans who genuinely do need certain prescription drugs but can't afford them. Some of these ads advise viewers that if they are unable to afford the medication being advertised, the drug manufacturer "may be able to help." This line never fails to bring my blood to a boil. If pharmaceutical companies truly wanted to "help," they could start by yanking their commercials and reallocating the millions of dollars they spend on them toward making their products more affordable. Of course, that idea presupposes that these drug-makers care more about the consumer than they do about their profits. Fat chance.

Ideally, prescription commercials — made solely for the purpose of padding the pockets of drug manufacturers, arguably at the expense of public health and affordable care for those who really need it — would be banned from television in the same way tobacco products were. Speaking of padded pockets, however, that's precisely what these companies do for lawmakers on Capitol Hill, who would be the ones to pass regulations or restrictions on their marketing campaigns. It should therefore be unsurprising that no such proposals have ever gained traction. That's a shame, because the idea of watching an evening of television without any drug commercials makes me feel far better than any prescription ever could.