Drug company marketing executives hate having to warn people about dangerous drug complications and side effects. Imagine a car salesman trying to sell a car but having to warn customers that there is a 1 in 10 chance the ignition switch will fail or a 1 in 5 chance the brakes won’t work. Not very many cars would be sold if that were the situation. That’s why drug companies are probably thrilled with the FDA’s new proposal to reduce the number of side effect warnings in drug ads.
If you watch television at all, chances are very good that you have seen commercials for prescription drugs like the sleeping pill Lunesta. The Luna moth comes gliding in the window, bringing restful sleep to an insomniac who had been tossing and turning.
Side Effects Announced
Lucky for her she falls asleep before the announcer warns:
“Don’t drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. Walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported.
“Lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. Abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion. In depressed patients, worsening of depression, including risk of suicide, may occur. Alcohol may increase these risks.
“Allergic reactions such as tongue or throat swelling occur rarely and may be fatal. Side effects may include unpleasant taste, headache, dizziness and morning drowsiness. Ask your doctor if Lunesta is right for you.”
There are dozens of other prescription drugs that have been advertised on television. These commercials often contain long lists of scary potential side effects.
Celebrex Warnings
The Celebrex ad, for example, warns:
“All prescription NSAIDs like Celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. They all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death.”
Should FDA Change its Rules?
The FDA is concerned that long lists of potential problems, including death, might confuse people and discourage them from taking advertised medicines. As a result, the agency is considering limiting the risks presented in direct-to-consumer drug ads on television and in print.
This is a significant departure from FDA’s previous policy to include important risk information in any advertising directed to the public. This reversal has some consumer advocates concerned.
Although leaders of the pharmaceutical industry have not been witnessed doing victory dances in the end zone, we suspect that they are privately pleased. Marketing experts hate to tell people about the dangers of their products.
Abilify Adverse Effects
We can just imagine an advertising director gritting his teeth as he hammered out the following television voice-over for the depression drug Abilify:
“Abilify is not for everyone. Call your doctor if your depression worsens or if you have unusual changes in behavior or thoughts of suicide…
“Elderly dementia patients taking Abilify have an increased risk of death or stroke.
“Call your doctor if you have high fever, stiff muscles and confusion to address a possible life threatening condition or if you have uncontrollable muscle movements as these can become permanent. High blood sugar has been reported with Abilify and medicines like it and in extreme cases can lead to coma or death…”
This is not a friendly sales message and might deter all but the most desperate patients from asking their doctor “if adding Abilify is right” for them.
We’re not sure that reducing the number of risks mentioned in drug ads will actually serve the public well. We hope the FDA doesn’t make such drugs seem safer than they really are. In our opinion, the best solution of all would be to eliminate direct-to-consumer advertising completely.
We would love to see your thoughts about drug ads on television (and in print). Do you find them helpful or an annoyance? Would you like to see the FDA reduce the number of scary side effects mentioned in such drug ads? Would you like to see prescription drugs ads eliminated from television altogether? Share your perspective below in the “Add My Thoughts” section. And please vote on this article at the top of this page.
