[Vision2020] America's Health Care is a National Disgrace

[Paul Rumelhart]

g. crabtree wrote:

> And I am suggesting that to pass regulations to forbid companies to 
> advertise to consumers is draconian. The only benefit would be 
> physicians not having to explain to a patient why they won't authorize 
> that particular product. Are you against consumer information web 
> sites such as WebMD, DocWeb or the online PDA? Just because a consumer 
> is aware of any given product does not mean that he will automatically 
> get it. From my perspective, you have got to have a better reason to 
> pass legislation that limits peoples access to information them 
> because you don't want an MD to have to say no and justify his refusal.


First, I'm all for consumer education at such sites as WebMD, DocWeb, 
etc.  I am marginally active in wikipedia, and have adopted a couple of 
pages to watch over and contribute to.  I just don't think that 
commercials for prescription drugs fall into the same category, at least 
the ones I've seen.  They are more about triggering an emotional 
response to their ads instead of a reasoned one.

My motivation for my views on this stem from my observations of a close 
family member who had to take prescription drugs to stay alive, at least 
until her death a few years ago.  The pills she had to take had 
side-effects that were awful.  So she had to take drugs to counter those 
effects, and then other pills to counter their side-effects.  She was 
taking probably 30 pills a day near the end.  I would just like people 
not to voluntarily enter that particular hell if they can at all avoid 
it.  I feel that these commercials create a climate in which people 
think that a magic pill will cure their every ill.  Can't sleep, try 
Senestra!  Feel a little pain somewhere, try Advil, or Tylenol, or 
Alleve.  Can't get your cholesterol down?  Try Lipitor.  In my opinion, 
people would be wiser to resist any and all of these unless they have to 
take them.  We are trying to micromanage a set of systems (our bodily 
functions) that are much more complex than any system we've ever 
designed ourselves. 

But, you're right, banning them outright is probably too draconian.  
Perhaps they could be regulated some other way, such as having to have 
their facts supported by impartial scientific studies as Roger suggested.

Paul