Are drug commercials for doctors or patients?

[RangerPooh]

And here I thought those commercials were for us to make fun of

I actually had a first year pharmacy student tell me that the commercials helped her recall details of the drugs. So apparently they have an educational component.

 

[jo-jo]

I like the part where they say "if you're allergic to XYZ, don't take XYZ". Well how do I know if I'm allergic to it????

 

[sailorstitch]

I like the part where they say "if you're allergic to XYZ, don't take XYZ". Well how do I know if I'm allergic to it????

That's the one that's always baffled me. If you know you're allergic to it then, DUH, don't take it.

 

[dotfurio]

I agree with others who said they are to encourage patients to ask for them. I wonder if the advertising and free samples given to doctors office are what make our prescription drug prices so outrageous?

 

[tvguy]

I agree with others who said they are to encourage patients to ask for them. I wonder if the advertising and free samples given to doctors office are what make our prescription drug prices so outrageous?

Could be on the samples. My mom was a nurse and she always asked if the Doctor had a samples when he prescribed a new medicine. She wanted to make sure she didn't have a reaction and that the drug worked before laying out money for a 90 day supply.

 

[tvguy]

Most meds on commercials are not covered by peeps insurance in my state. Remember when the shingles vaccine came out for peeps over 65, yet Medicare did not cover it yet?

What state is that? My insurance and my wife's cover it for anyone over the age of 50.
Medicare covered it if you had Part D.

 

[mom2rtk]

I like the part where they say "if you're allergic to XYZ, don't take XYZ". Well how do I know if I'm allergic to it????

They only say that because they are required to. Which is just dumb enough to be a governmental regulation.

I agree with others who said they are to encourage patients to ask for them. I wonder if the advertising and free samples given to doctors office are what make our prescription drug prices so outrageous?

Just a small part. Mostly they charge the most they think they can get away with before losing their patent. And since many people have a third party paying much of the cost, they are shielded from it enough not to notice. All of our drugs are subject to our insane $7K deductible so I'm painfully aware of what they cost. I know going into it that (samples or not) we can't afford to take anything that's advertised on TV (because those are the newer highest dollar prescriptions).

 

[ronandannette]

As an regular intentional visitor to America, this has always fascinated me about American TV. Here in Ireland the advertising of prescription only drugs is not allowed. Only over the counter medication is allowed to be advertised.

It really fascinates me that the American general public can go to their doctor and ask for a particular brand of prescription medication. Here in Ireland, you go to a doctor and you just get the most appropriate brand of medication.

OTOH, one thing I do know that happens here in Canada (and probably the States) is that pharmaceutical companies market very aggressively directly to doctors in ways that make prescribing their products beneficial to the doctor. So with or without tv advertising, I don't feel the process is 100% objective.

We get patients calling in all the time for drugs they have seen on TV. It was really fun back before they could say what the drug actually was for in the commercial. People would ask for the drug without even knowing if it was something made for them.

I would say 95% of the time, even if the doctor was okay with prescribing the medication to the patient, insurance companies would deny paying for it. We would then get a call complaining we prescribed them a $1000 medication.

Maybe it depends on the doctor, but whenever my guy writes a prescription I've never taken before he asks about my insurance and mentions if it's something particularly expensive. At the pharmacy, the pharmacist will always ask if I want the script filled with a (less expensive) generic form, if one is available. Apparently they have the discretion to do so unless the doctor has specified it must be the brand-name version.

It's just one more example of how ordinary people think they are capable of making the same decisions as "experts," never mind that your doctor went to school for far longer specifically to learn about this stuff. SMH. It's a horrible trend and is going to be the ruination of this country eventually. It's all part of the "my googling is equal to your degree" trend.

Here's the thing about that though - people are entitled to understand their own conditions and any necessary treatments, as well as WHY. I must say I've got a bit of a chip on my shoulder here. I watched my parents (and most people of their generation) being condescended and dictated to by their doctors; many of who would get defensive and dismissive if questioned. The old folks just meekly accept this behavior and I find it an unacceptable dynamic. Disrespect being shown by doctors who themselves demand respect.

I think it's overall a positive thing that people now have access to all sorts of information even if it "complicates" things for industry professionals. I don't feel one bit sorry for medical professionals who now have to actually explain things to a patient's satisfaction rather than just handing down edicts.

I have no issue with a patient being their own advocate with their Doctor and ASKING about a medication or treatment. DEMANDING a medication or treatment is another thing. We all need to be bigger advocates for our own health. But I'm just coming of a series of friends who had have less that good experiences with Doctors. But in those cases, the Primary care Doctor put off referring them to a Specialist to get a treatment of prescription medication, and the Specialists first question has always been, "why didn't your Primary care Doctor give you a referral MONTHS ago.
'

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Maybe it depends on the doctor, but whenever my guy writes a prescription I've never taken before he asks about my insurance and mentions if it's something particularly expensive. At the pharmacy, the pharmacist will always ask if I want the script filled with a (less expensive) generic form, if one is available. Apparently they have the discretion to do so unless the doctor has specified it must be the brand-name version.

Depends on the type of medication. Not all of them have a generic on the market. I work for a neurologist so we have been dealing with the new CGRP inhibitor drugs that just hit the market. The patient’s come in demanding we prescribe them and then freak out once they figure out their insurance isnt going to cover them or if they do the copay is still ridiculously high. Even when we tell them the insurance issues we have run into and give them a copay card (commercial insurance only) I still field multiple phone calls a day complains about the cost. They seem to think we have some magic wand we can wave to make their insurance cooperate and pay 100%

 

[mnrose]

Here's the thing about that though - people are entitled to understand their own conditions and any necessary treatments, as well as WHY. I must say I've got a bit of a chip on my shoulder here. I watched my parents (and most people of their generation) being condescended and dictated to by their doctors; many of who would get defensive and dismissive if questioned. The old folks just meekly accept this behavior and I find it an unacceptable dynamic. Disrespect being shown by doctors who themselves demand respect.

I think it's overall a positive thing that people now have access to all sorts of information even if it "complicates" things for industry professionals. I don't feel one bit sorry for medical professionals who now have to actually explain things to a patient's satisfaction rather than just handing down edicts.

I'm not "meek" with my doctor. OTOH, I don't pretend to know more than she does about whatever medical issue she's discussing with me. The former isn't a problem. The latter is. And, that's what I'm talking about. My MIL is the WORST at this. She is a retired pharmacist. She does know a lot about drug interactions, etc. She doesn't know as much as her doctor about her heart condition, but she pretends that she does.

I'll give you another example. I'm an elected official in a lower level of government. On my same board, there's a gentleman who is a financial planner. At one of our meetings, he's pulling out statute books, and lecturing us on the law. We are being advised by an attorney actually an expert in that area of the law, and this gentleman is ARGUING with the lawyer and telling him he's wrong. Heck, I'm a lawyer, and *I* was deferring to the city's lawyer because (guess what), I'm not an expert in that area of the law. It was insulting to the lawyer. I'd never presume to tell this gentleman he's WRONG on some area of financial planning, or lecture him about it. But, he read a small amount and decided he knew better than the lawyer. SMH. That's what I'm talking about.

 

[ronandannette]

I'm not "meek" with my doctor. OTOH, I don't pretend to know more than she does about whatever medical issue she's discussing with me. The former isn't a problem. The latter is. And, that's what I'm talking about. My MIL is the WORST at this. She is a retired pharmacist. She does know a lot about drug interactions, etc. She doesn't know as much as her doctor about her heart condition, but she pretends that she does.

I'll give you another example. I'm an elected official in a lower level of government. On my same board, there's a gentleman who is a financial planner. At one of our meetings, he's pulling out statute books, and lecturing us on the law. We are being advised by an attorney actually an expert in that area of the law, and this gentleman is ARGUING with the lawyer and telling him he's wrong. Heck, I'm a lawyer, and *I* was deferring to the city's lawyer because (guess what), I'm not an expert in that area of the law. It was insulting to the lawyer. I'd never presume to tell this gentleman he's WRONG on some area of financial planning, or lecture him about it. But, he read a small amount and decided he knew better than the lawyer. SMH. That's what I'm talking about.

I completely understand your 2nd paragraph; I'm also in an industry where lay-persons contend with our professional expertise all the time and admittedly it can be irksome, especially if ego gets involved. But they have a vested interest and are entitled, IMO. It's our job to patiently discuss their concerns and disclose as much information as they seem to need to be comfortable with what's going on.

You and I are of a different generation where we perhaps don't put medical professionals on such a lofty pedestal as they were in the past. Many of them were (and some I've encountered still are) breathtakingly arrogant; the term god-complex comes to mind. I don't put up with it and likely neither do you, but I'll never forget just how dismissive and disrespectfully I've seen my elderly loved ones treated. And the worst part is the elders often cringe at being advocated for because they don't want to offend the almighty doctor.

 

[ChrisFL]

I really, really hate those ads. They're (to me) depressing, annoying, they subvert the proper way to diagnose and treat patients and are one of the reasons why the healthcare system in the U.S. is so messed up. Also, I believe I read there's only a few countries where this kind of marketing is allowed....most countries it is illegal, and rightly so.

The other problem is apparently they spend so much on these ads for TV networks, that they are supporting a lot of TV shows and other things I just saw clips from the Daytona 500 yesterday and there was a crash in the pits, and on the hood of one of the cars.......PRESCRIPTION DRUG info....geez.

I would think it also perpetuates problems for those who are hypochondriacs! all they have to do is watch TV for a few hours and they'll learn about all kinds of ailments they possibly have!

I think these should be outlawed entirely.

 

[dotfurio]

I'll never forget just how dismissive and disrespectfully I've seen my elderly loved ones treated. And the worst part is the elders often cringe at being advocated for because they don't want to offend the almighty doctor.

Yes! My mom is like this - she hates when I talk to her doctor, but 9 times out of 10 she walks away not really understanding what they just told her (if they bothered to explain anything at all).

Yes, doctors have more medical knowledge than I do, but if they don't know the patient well I've seen them be very dismissive, especially when the patient is in a hospital and the doctor is not their regular one. I've seen it with my mom, MIL, kids, and friends. Doctors are still just people and they see many different patients every day/week/month. People definitely need to educate themselves on their conditions and advocate for themselves, especially if you need a referral to see a specialist. I've never gone to a doctor demanding xyz, but many times I've brought up xyz to ask what they think.

 

[ronandannette]

Yes! My mom is like this - she hates when I talk to her doctor, but 9 times out of 10 she walks away not really understanding what they just told her (if they bothered to explain anything at all).

Yes, doctors have more medical knowledge than I do, but if they don't know the patient well I've seen them be very dismissive, especially when the patient is in a hospital and the doctor is not their regular one. I've seen it with my mom, MIL, kids, and friends. Doctors are still just people and they see many different patients every day/week/month. People definitely need to educate themselves on their conditions and advocate for themselves, especially if you need a referral to see a specialist. I've never gone to a doctor demanding xyz, but many times I've brought up xyz to ask what they think.

I love this - it's exactly what I'm talking about. One time I visited my doctor for an issue and he subsequently directed me to go immediately to the emergency room of a local hospital (he called ahead to make the arrangements). I got there and was examined by a nurse-practitioner during intake. I answered her questions with some of the medical terms for the symptoms/conditions my doctor had just told me. She literally sneered at me for being "some kind of Google doctor-wannabe or something".

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Depends on the type of medication. Not all of them have a generic on the market. I work for a neurologist so we have been dealing with the new CGRP inhibitor drugs that just hit the market. The patient’s come in demanding we prescribe them and then freak out once they figure out their insurance isnt going to cover them or if they do the copay is still ridiculously high. Even when we tell them the insurance issues we have run into and give them a copay card (commercial insurance only) I still field multiple phone calls a day complains about the cost. They seem to think we have some magic wand we can wave to make their insurance cooperate and pay 100%

I think we can all agree though there are times, some quite well known to the public, where medication is arbitrarily cost-prohibitive or just plain darn expensive when it doesn't necessarily need to except it gives more profit. And insurance companies aren't always playing 'nice' with patients. Now that is not to say that the 'customer' (who is the patient) is always right because they aren't but I think there is some truth to being frustrated by medication costs. The downside to generic is waiting long enough where the generic can be made and for some people they can't wait.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It really fascinates me that the American general public can go to their doctor and ask for a particular brand of prescription medication. Here in Ireland, you go to a doctor and you just get the most appropriate brand of medication.

TBH I think it can actually help a person be open about symptoms they have especially if those symptoms come with societal stigmas. That's not to say it's all awesome that drug commercials are on the tv but if someone watching them can relate (even to someone being paid) it may make them more receptive towards speaking with their doctor. There is some sort of normalizing going on TBH and I believe that part is good. From symptoms of ED, to depression, to incontinence, to many other things it might be something that someone is embarassed to discuss with their doctor. Doctors also don't know everything on the fly. Now that doesn't mean a patient goes to the doctor and the doctor just gives the patient what they ask for (although I know that happens and I'm sure that can happen in other countries too) but it can open the diaglogue more IMO.

 

[MillauFr]

They are for patients and I think it is wrong wrong wrong. I was a medical secretary for years and patients would actually come in and demand the physician prescribe a certain medication. It was crazy.

Wouldn't the doctors just respond by going into graphic detail of all of the nasty side effects, even death to clam those people up?

 

[mnrose]

I completely understand your 2nd paragraph; I'm also in an industry where lay-persons contend with our professional expertise all the time and admittedly it can be irksome, especially if ego gets involved. But they have a vested interest and are entitled, IMO. It's our job to patiently discuss their concerns and disclose as much information as they seem to need to be comfortable with what's going on.

You and I are of a different generation where we perhaps don't put medical professionals on such a lofty pedestal as they were in the past. Many of them were (and some I've encountered still are) breathtakingly arrogant; the term god-complex comes to mind. I don't put up with it and likely neither do you, but I'll never forget just how dismissive and disrespectfully I've seen my elderly loved ones treated. And the worst part is the elders often cringe at being advocated for because they don't want to offend the almighty doctor.

I don't put doctors on a pedestal, and I'm sorry what I'm saying comes across that way. And, I doubt whether we are THAT different in age/generation. I RESPECT them as professionals. Never had an instance on one being condescending to me at all. I know they are humans and can make mistakes, but in general, they know what they are doing, and I don't go in to visit them with the attitude that I need to tell them how to do their job. Fortunately, aside from a very difficult pregnancy involving a LOT of medical care, all my medical care has been largely of the "run of the mill" annual check up stuff. I see my personal physician generally once per year, and a cardiologist once per year for a benign (but annoying) heart condition. So, I see him for 5 minutes once per year to get my script refilled for the coming year. And, that's it.

I just think there's way too much of Dr. Google going around. It makes everyone think they know what's going on simply with a few strokes of their keypad. They don't. If it was that simple, medical schools would cease to exist.

Should Drs. be respectful of their patients and explain things? Absolutely. But, like I said, I've never had an instance where I've felt disrespected by the doctors I've seen. Maybe I'm just lucky? Or, maybe I present as someone reasonably intelligent who isn't interested in a lot of BS? Or maybe it's the fact that "lawyer" goes in the profession box on the intake form? I dunno. I do have a lot of friends who google medical stuff WAY.TOO.MUCH and get themselves into a lather about some suspected medical problem or another, only to discover it's a big fat nothing.

 

[kimblebee]

Depends on the type of medication. Not all of them have a generic on the market. I work for a neurologist so we have been dealing with the new CGRP inhibitor drugs that just hit the market. The patient’s come in demanding we prescribe them and then freak out once they figure out their insurance isnt going to cover them or if they do the copay is still ridiculously high. Even when we tell them the insurance issues we have run into and give them a copay card (commercial insurance only) I still field multiple phone calls a day complains about the cost. They seem to think we have some magic wand we can wave to make their insurance cooperate and pay 100%

Do you have ms patients that you deamwith? Has anyone from your office done Lemtrada? Have you heard of it? I did my second dose this year and I’m always curious to see how popular it is considering it’s the equivalent of an atomic bomb going off on your immune system.

 

[Mariearistocat]

As an regular intentional visitor to America, this has always fascinated me about American TV. Here in Ireland the advertising of prescription only drugs is not allowed. Only over the counter medication is allowed to be advertised.

It really fascinates me that the American general public can go to their doctor and ask for a particular brand of prescription medication. Here in Ireland, you go to a doctor and you just get the most appropriate brand of medication.

It's great Ireland does not allow this and I hope it becomes the norm here. I would be curious to know the rate of prescription drugs prescribed here as compared to Ireland? I feel lie everyone I know is one something, multiple somethings!