The Case for Banning Drug Ads

Starting next week, American pharmaceutical companies will be required to include prices in TV advertisements for most prescription drugs. The Trump administration has been working on enacting the rule for over a year, as a part of the administration’s efforts to lower health care costs.

The regulation was not well-received by pharmaceutical corporations, with industry members claiming that advertising list prices would not affect the prices and would only “discourage patients from seeking needed medical care.” However, the American Medical Association (AMA) touted the policy as “a step in the right direction” because it would enhance patients’ informed decision-making through increased price transparency.

Still, there is a significant problem with the rule — it continues to allow the drug industry to target laypeople who can’t make appropriate judgments without the help of medical professionals. Concerned physicians have put out statements saying that patients should ask their doctors to recommend treatments instead of relying on TV ads, since drug interactions, side effects, and other health issues can vary from patient to patient. Prescription drugs can potentially be extremely dangerous, yet the pharmaceutical industry advertises drugs to untrained people with little medical knowledge.

Although pharmaceutical companies allege that direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads are just for awareness, they do little to educate patients. They frequently exaggerate the benefits of medications and speed through important adverse effects. One study found that a stunning 67% of major claims in drug commercials were misleading or false, with many cases of “blatant lying” and “half-truths,” according to author Adrienne E. Faerber, PhD. Oftentimes, these ads also worsen doctor-patient relationships by triggering unneeded concern over patients’ quality of treatment. Guided by misleading ads, patients may lose their trust in their physicians’ recommendations and pressure their physicians into improperly prescribing drugs. These drugs are sometimes not the best fit for a patient and could be very harmful. This is not to say that patients shouldn’t receive information on medications, but that DTC advertising is not the proper way to educate patients.

DTC ads also play a large part in skyrocketing health care costs in the US. The true goal of these commercials is to rake in more profits by encouraging people to bring up advertised drugs with their doctors. The AMA has noted that DTC ads have contributed to a rising demand for needlessly expensive drugs and treatments, despite the availability of cheap, effective options. The drug industry also spends over $6 billion per year in DTC advertising, which could be repurposed towards drug research or public health awareness. Additionally, DTC ads are linked to unnecessary doctor visits that are a financial drain on American health care.

Many problems regarding patient education, patient health, and medical costs are certainly attributed to DTC ads. However, simply requiring drug prices in TV drug ads is insufficient — it would do nothing but make patients aware of how expensive medications are. More restrictive measures on advertising must be taken.

Direct-to-consumer drug advertisements should be banned. The US and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow for DTC ads. We should join the rest of world in banning DTC ads that prey on patients and explode health care costs. By banning DTC ads, patient health would be maximized and wasteful spending caused by advertising would be slashed.

It is important to point out that banning DTC drug ads would be a difficult task. Lobbying groups would be strongly against a ban and there are additional legal hurdles that could prevent imposing a ban. Regardless, we should try to end drug ads on TV, just as TV ads for cigarettes were banned in 1970.

Ending DTC drug ads wouldn’t be a silver bullet either. Drug prices in the US would still remain higher than in other countries unless more action is taken. For example, we could import more lower-cost drugs from other countries. Prosecutors could also sue pharmaceutical companies who mislead patients. Modifying the American patent process would be another great move to reduce health care costs.

Nevertheless, drug ads must go. Until 1997, direct-to-consumer drug ads were illegal in the US — it would definitely be possible to return to an America without prescription drug ads on TV. Direct-to-consumer ads simply prop up an unsustainable health care system and prohibiting them would move our country towards a brighter future.