Finally Congress looking to curb direct to public drug ads

[Lorax7844]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/business/media/27drugads.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

[excess_3]

1. the middle class and poor do not need to know about these things .n/t

[Lorax7844]

2. why would people need to self diagnose?

Also who is the freeper/lobbyest that keeps un'rec'ing my stuff! Do I have someone here that just hates me, or what?

This is a good idea, it cuts cost and is better for patients.

[madokie]

3. Yes it is a good idea

I brought you back to "0"

[excess_3]

4. doctors are trustworthy

ask Michael Jackson

edit, spelling

[JTFrog]

10. You don't think Jackson looked specifically for a Dr. who would give him what he wanted?

He could have bought 10 doctors.

I have no intention of bribing a Dr. to kill me.

That said, if I'm prescribed medication, I will look it up first and do some research before popping it in my mouth.

What I don't need is some TV ad asking if I have a multitude of general symptoms suggesting I should check out this drug with my Dr. They make them so general that I've got just about every condition ever advertised.

[Lorax7844]

13. must be nice to be able to afford a team of doctors that will give you whatever

you want

[JTFrog]

14. Didn't work out so nice tho did it?

Not sure what your point was/

[Lorax7844]

15. didn't have one it was just a snide comment

still a good example of self diagnosis and how it's a bad thing. It turns doctors into drug pushers and that's no good.

[JTFrog]

16. Agree. I live in Indy one of the hearts of Big Pharma.

For years I've watched the Pharm Reps. walk into a Dr.'s office while I sit waiting out front knowing that this person was part of the reason that it was already forty five minutes past my appointment time. Also knowing that when I did see the doc, he was likely to have a shiny new drug he was looking to push my way so he could get that little vacation for him and his wife this summer.

[excess_3]

18. doctors are trustworthy, especialy plastic surgeons

who do nose jobs
same for dermatologists

[JTFrog]

20. and random words on a page, make no sense

same for your posts

[surrealAmerican]

17. Right, since drug company ads are such a good source ...

... of unbiased information.:sarcasm:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Finally!

I work for a doctor and it is amusing but also frightening to see folks who have no training insisting on trying things for their conditions simply because "I saw it on TV." Most of the time the drug they want does nothing for their particular condition.

[customerserviceguy]

6. Hit 'em in the pocketbook

Provide that only advertising expenses that are within one percent of gross sales are tax deductable. And be sure to count those expensive "seminar" bribes that they send doctors to in vacation locations, where they get a three or four day vacation for having to listen to a two-hour lecture by some flack for Big Pharma.

It neatly avoids First Amendment issues.

[Lorax7844]

8. Also taking out the ad dollars might get our lap dog media to actually do their job

when reporting on new drugs

[tabbycat31]

7. it's about time. K&R

[formercia]

9. Even if it's just to starve the M$M of revenue.

Get that snake oil off the airwaves.

[Lorax7844]

11. i think that might be my favorite part of it

less money to the MSM

[Lorax7844]

12. that and not having to watch yucky Viagra/enzyte ads

[rurallib]

19. Lobbyists will never allow it and they run the country now

No doubt the blue cross Dems are getting their pockets lined by the media lobbyists already.

[sharesunited]

21. Isn't pharma advertising banned in Canada?

Glad to see Lipinksi getting behind this. He is a Blue Dog.

[ellenfl]

22. they banned cigarettes and alcohol commercials, they

can ban these as well. these commercial are NOT free speech . . . if that criteria does not also apply to cigarettes and alcohol, although it appears the alcohol ban was lifted.

ellen fl

[drm604]

23. Unfortunately, they're not talking about a total ban

which is what we used to have.

Representative James P. Moran, Democrat of Virginia, is sponsoring a House bill that would ban ads for prescription sexual aids like Viagra and Levitra from prime-time television, on decency grounds. Representative Henry A. Waxman, Democrat of California, has said he favors empowering the Food and Drug Administration to bar consumer advertisements for new drugs for an initial period after the F.D.A. approves them — until there has been more real-world experience with the medications.

Meanwhile, Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, has introduced a bill called the Say No to Drug Ads Act. It would amend the federal tax code to prevent pharmaceutical companies from deducting the cost of direct-to-consumer drug advertisements as a business expense.