American-style TV drug advertising comes to the UK - in an underhand way

[muriel_volestrangler]

I just saw a bit of an advert for a website 'for couples' with the coy name of 'lovelifematters'. It said something along the lines of "perhaps erectile problems". The small print (not on the voice over, of course) says the site is sponsored by Lilly ICOS - whose sole product is Cialis, the erection drug (though they're not allowed to say that on TV, of course). (One of its parent companies is the huge Eli Lilly).

The website doesn't appear to mention Cialis specifically. But it's interesting that the company (while it does acknowledge running the website) has seen fit to hide behind the following lie for internet registration:

Domain Name:
lovelifematters.co.uk

Registrant:
Lilly ICOS

Registrant's Address:

THE REGISTRANT IS AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS ELECTED TO
HAVE THEIR ADDRESS OMITTED FROM THE WHOIS DATABASE

Registrant's Agent:
Fasthosts Internet Limited
URL: http://www.fasthosts.co.uk

Relevant Dates:
Registered on: 04-Apr-2005
Renewal Date: 04-Apr-2007
Last updated: 19-May-2005

Registration Status:
Registration request being processed

An individual? Bollocks. They're a multinational with nearly half a billion dollars of sales last year.

Anyway, however openly or not they admit to the advert and website, I'm disgusted that they're pushing drugs on TV. It's one of the most annoying features of American TV, and I think it fundamentally screws up the proper doctor-patient relationship. It's another feature of the privatisation of healthcare - it turns the doctor into a dealer.

[McKenzie]

1. I agree with your comment about "dealers" Muriel

Two of my friends are GP's and they get bombarded with sales literature from drug companies. (ever seen the "Young Ones" sketch where the punch line is "for fast and effective products buy a drug company"?)

As for the illegality of showing/discussing erections on teevee, which we both know is illegal, it is a tad perverse that our government deems such displays as "illegal" whilst ruling that dropping explosives on civilians is somehow "legal". Wonder if they know what "irony" means?

edit:speling

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. My father was a GP

and it's 15 years since he retired, but I remember the amount of sales literature he got thrown at him (and he's still working his way through the endless writing pads and similar gifts he got then). He took a bit of pride in working out how much money he saved the NHS when he prescribed generic drugs. If it was bad enough then, I can imagine it's hell now - and the last thing the GP's need is patients pressing them with specific requests for one brand over another (I remember the big warning that 'Punch Digest for Doctors' (a shortened version of Punch magazine, with lots of drug adverts in) had - "Do not leave where patients may have access").