Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Drug ads are a campaign against physician trust

Judy Salz, MD
Meds
October 15, 2019
227 Shares
Share
Tweet
Share

There was a time when drug reps fed us lunch and gave us an endless supply of pens, pads, and even umbrellas all emblazoned with their newest drugs. They explained why their drug was better than their competitors’ and what it would offer to our patients. I still have my Zantac umbrella in the trunk of my car for rain emergencies.

Although it was somewhat annoying, it did keep us somewhat aware of newer forms of therapy. Then we discovered that sales rep exposure really did influence which drugs we prescribed, and many hospitals and doctors curtailed their visits or eliminated them entirely. Obviously, Big Pharma needed to find another way to keep us “educated.” Their new approach, admittedly clever, is the subject of my essay.

After a day at the office or in the OR, TV time to relax and unwind used to be a welcomed change from thinking about our patients and their problems.

Now that is no longer possible.

We are assaulted nightly by a veritable barrage of drug company ads aimed at the public. They depict powerful new drugs as the perfect solutions for diseases as diverse as psoriasis and colitis. Carefree, happy people cavort across the screen, now cleared of their diseases and their effects on their social lives.

Meanwhile, a dignified male voice reads them the PDR about side effects and the possibility of death, then brightly tells them to “ask your doctor.” They are even primed to tell their doctors if they have liver or kidney disease, and are warned not to take a drug if the MEA 1. It’s gibberish to those without a medical background, but pharma is protecting themselves from lawsuits. Lastly, patients are told that if they break out in a rash or their tongue swells, to seek medical attention. I’m so happy that Big Pharma thinks we are good for something. We can bailout patients in trouble.

At the least, these ads are annoying to us. They are presented as infomercials or public service announcements, purportedly helping those afflicted to lead happier and better lives. How noble. The reality is that, no longer able to see us, Big Pharma is using the general public to convey their messages to us.

It gets worse. “Ask your doctor.” Our patients have unwittingly been assigned the task of “educating” us about new drugs. But it’s even more insidious than that. The hidden message is, your doctor may not know about these drugs or what to ask you before prescribing them, so it’s your job to tell them. Making patients doubt that their physicians know enough to be competent destroys the doctor-patient relationship, making it adversarial rather than cooperative. It’s just another step toward making patients distrust us. Another way to move us from physician to health care provider.

We need to educate the public about what is being done to them and why. They need to be made aware that they are being used by Big Pharma, and how unscrupulous it is. We need the same TV presence, explaining it to them, but it may already be too late. Unfortunately, the seeds of distrust have already been subconsciously sown.

Judy Salz is an internal medicine physician and author of Worthy.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

Why Medicare for all is not going to happen in America

October 14, 2019 Kevin 33
…
Next

It is always a good time to buy real estate

October 15, 2019 Kevin 12
…

Tagged as: Mainstream media, Medications

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Why Medicare for all is not going to happen in America
Next Post >
It is always a good time to buy real estate

More by Judy Salz, MD

  • When doctors weren’t needed anymore: a short story

    Judy Salz, MD
  • “Thank you for being who you are”: an excerpt from a novel

    Judy Salz, MD
  • Success is not congratulated as easily as failure is shamed

    Judy Salz, MD

Related Posts

  • Building a bond of trust between patient and physician

    Michele Luckenbaugh
  • Here’s why direct-to-consumer drug ads need FDA oversight

    Zachariah Tman
  • A physician’s addiction to social media

    Amanda Xi, MD
  • A drug problem in rural Georgia

    Ashish Advani, PharmD
  • How hospitals can impact generic drug companies

    Mark Kelley, MD
  • Crippling drug costs: the role of insurers

    Janice Boughton, MD

More in Meds

  • Levamisole is good for your dog, but bad for your cocaine

    Robert Killeen, MD
  • 13.1 million missing Americans since 1980. Where’s the outrage?

    Steve Burgess, MD
  • Ketamine for mental health conditions: What every primary care physician needs to know

    Carlene MacMillan, MD & L. Alison McInnes, MD
  • Learn to be a Narcan hero: a comic tutorial

    Emily Watters, MD
  • The preference for insurance coverage of opioids over non-pharmaceutical options explained

    Amy Baxter, MD
  • A comic reveals the terrifying truth about fentanyl

    Emily Watters, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions
    • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Discover the power of patience

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

View 13 Comments >

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

CME Spotlights

From MedPage Today

Latest News

  • Novavax's Updated COVID Shot Authorized by FDA
  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • FDA Advisors to Consider DFMO Maintenance for High-Risk Neuroblastoma in Kids
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D

Meeting Coverage

  • SBRT Noninferior to Conventional RT for Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer
  • Mixed Bag for Early Metformin in Gestational Diabetes
  • Adding Tirzepatide to Basal Insulin Cuts HbA1c in Poorly Controlled T2D
  • Low Relapse Rates With Twice-Yearly Schizophrenia Treatment
  • Menopause Can Negatively Affect Women's Careers
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • Challenging the diagnosis: dehydration or bias?

      Sydney Lou Bonnick, MD | Physician
    • A teenager’s perspective: the pressing need for mental health days in schools

      Ruhi Saldanha | Conditions
    • Understanding reproductive rights: complex considerations

      Anonymous | Physician
    • COVID-19 unleashed an ongoing crisis of delirium in hospitals

      Christina Reppas-Rindlisbacher, MD, Nathan Stall, MD, and Paula Rochon, MD | Conditions
    • Air quality alert: Reducing our carbon footprint in health care

      Shreya Aggarwal, MD | Conditions
    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
  • Past 6 Months

    • Medical gaslighting: a growing challenge in today’s medical landscape

      Tami Burdick | Conditions
    • I want to be a doctor who can provide care for women: What states must I rule out for my medical education?

      Nandini Erodula | Education
    • Balancing opioid medication in chronic pain

      L. Joseph Parker, MD | Conditions
    • Unveiling excessive medical billing and greed

      Amol Saxena, DPM, MPH | Policy
    • The erosion of patient care

      Laura de la Torre, MD | Physician
    • I’m a doctor, and I almost died during childbirth

      Bayo Curry-Winchell, MD | Physician
  • Recent Posts

    • When physicians are disrespected [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Addressing dual diagnosis needs in addiction treatment

      Susan Hertz Berrick, EdD | Conditions
    • The essence of health narratives, including poetry

      Arthur Lazarus, MD, MBA | Physician
    • Discover the power of patience

      Diane W. Shannon, MD, MPH | Physician
    • Doctors rediscover joy in practicing medicine, on their own terms

      Kim Downey, PT | Physician
    • End-of-life ethics and antibiotic use [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Drug ads are a campaign against physician trust
13 comments

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...