We are one of two countries. The other is Australia I believe.
Direct to consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals should be outlawed
You shouldn't go into your doctor's office and tell them about some drug you want to be on.
That whole industry is fucked.
Australia doesn’t have direct to consumer pharmaceutical advertising.
There are laws here preventing it. However they occasionally skim the around the laws or get approval to - we are currently getting an uptick in shingles vaccination adverts, some by government and some direct from pharmaceutical company.
They can advertise vitamins etc but not pharmaceutical items.
Correct I mistakenly thought it was Australia, it is New Zealand.
TBF, here in Australia people go into their GP's office and ask for specific meds all the time. Dad did it all the time. I've been known to do it. I've even been asked which I wanted by my GP, because he knows I do my homework.
And I think that's the difference. Without direct-to-consumer advertising, patients who are asking for something specific have probably done some work. They may well be wrong, but less wrong than if their information source was a sporting event billboard.
I think that's fair and those who actually do their homework will/would still. Maybe you can argue that even knowing what to research would be inhibited by the lack of D2C advertising.
Id estimate 65% as a conservative number.
And it's US and New Zealand who allow Direct to Consumer advertisement of pharmaceuticals.
The amount of people on Zoloft (sertelraline) is insanely wild.
