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That’s because healthcare is just another for-profit business in America. As opposed to the vast majority of other countries with universal/government healthcare.
"Ask your doctor to give you this drug." As a British guy that completely floored me when I came here. How is that even remotely acceptable? And finding out the doctors get all these back handers for doling out these drugs. This country is great in many ways, but Jesus Christ get the money out of politics. Lobbyists are legally bribing politicians to pass crazy laws.
And New Zealand
@mCann1 Pharma is absolutely illegal in Australia.
I am a Pharma fish! It’s dirrrrrrty
You learned it wrong. Pharma is legal in Europe for instance but only for non-prescription medication and that’s talking about ATL consumer facing advertising. Pharma companies still produce a lot of comms targeting doctors for prescription brands though
But while you’re learning: comparative advertising is also banned in Europe unless it’s comparing facts you can prove. So eg those lovely old ads by Pepsi and Coke about truckers fighting or kids using cans to step on would be illegal to make in Europe. Fun, eh?
I’m all for legal pharma advertising. Patients have to be their own advocates. Fair balance scares the sh*t out of people, but I’m proud to help people know what help is out there. Doctors prescribe the same drugs year after year. They also get incentives from big pharma, which is even shadier.
ACD1 you’re also wrong. Pharma is a huge business even in countries with universal healthcare.
You all believe in the free market, right? So why should people not make money from selling pharma products, which actually save or improve lives?
You all still believe in free markets? Why should pharma not charge what they can for their products?
Still believing in free markets? How about free Enterprise? Pharma companies take those profits and develop new drugs. Does anyone remember when HIV killed? Any of you had chicken pox as a kid?
Yes only two countries allow "direct-to-consumer" pharma advertising. Which would you rather be: a lung cancer patient who is completely dependent on your doctor to keep up with new research, or a lung cancer patient who knows there are many new drugs out there, and can prod your doctor to look into them?
Stop beating up on pharma, guys. We have all been helped by prescription medications.
“Ask your doctor “
Yes ask about your illness, don’t ask about DrugX. That’s not how any of this works. Your doctor didn’t go to medschool for 8-12 years so your ignorant ass can tell them which drugs you would prefer to take. That’s his job to tell YOU. He’s the pro, you’re the patient. Watching a bunch of ads of people smiling does not give you any expertise on the matter.
I would love to see a study of anti-vaxxers and compare their prevalence in the US vs other countries where dumbasses don’t consider themselves health experts
Pharma Consumer Advertising is illegal - unbranded disease awareness is not illegal in most countries
So it should be.
Ridiculous that healthcare is a for profit business.
It’s the same as privatizing the military - a bad idea
To be clear, it’s generally not “ask your doctor to prescribe this drug” it’s “ask your doctor if this drug may be right for you.” I can’t think of any instances otherwise (but I also don’t have them all memorized).
Usually drugs that advertise are going up against very similar competitors. Humira, Stelara, Enbrel for example: all very similar with almost identical indications and safety profiles. Your doctor will prescribe the one that sells them hardest unless you speak up. They don’t care about the 99.5% of viewers that don’t need that type of therapy. They just want a better shot at the few that do.
Plus the hoops you have to jump through to say any sort of efficacy claim is huge.
It’s dirty but it’s not as evil as people want to think. Just a normal day in capitalism.
Australia too. Pharma is dirty
It’s scandalous... that and the fact that prescription drugs can be up to 30x more expensive in the US than anywhere else
Get a clue
spend a few days on market research listening to doctors say over and over again the wrong indication for the drug.
Do I think some pharma spots are dirty? For sure. Do I think advertising to doctors; not consumers, is truly imperative, yes.
Pharma fish, what say you?
The health and safety standards for most CPG are also different around the world.