Watch Out for Misleading Pharmaceutical Advertising
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules for drug advertising on television and radio. Since that time, the airwaves have been flooded with commercials for all sorts of drugs. Some of them are vague, with a simple "Ask your doctor if drug x is right for you"; others spell out what the drug is used for and devote the commercial to telling you how much you will appreciate your product. Most consumers will probably assume that these commercials are honest, that the drugs will do what the ads say they will do, and that there are no side effects other than those mentioned in the ad. That may not be true, and consumers should be aware that the ads may not tell the whole story, and that they may be misleading.
The pharmaceutical industry spends $9 billion per year advertising their products, and the money they spend on television and radio ads is probably the most effective. Doctors may be skeptical of a product touted by a salesman, but consumers are easily swayed by television ads that show people living happy, productive lives while being treated for an ailment using the advertised product. Unfortunately, these ads may not be completely honest. In 2004, the FDA investigated thirty-six ads for drugs that the agency found to be misleading or incomplete in their descriptions of side effects. Consumers might think that the commercials must be honest, since the FDA wouldn't allow dishonest commercials to air. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The FDA does not require pharmaceutical companies to provide screening copies of their advertisements prior to airing. The FDA doesn't actually see the ads until the consumers do. Several months may pass before the FDA takes action. In the case of misleading advertising, the most the FDA can usually do is ask the companies to either stop running the ads or to change them. These requests aren't always timely, however. In the last five years, the FDA has asked the drug companies to stop running several ads that had already stopped running!
What this means for consumers is that some doubt should be exercised while viewing a commercial for a new drug. If you think an advertised product may be useful to you, discuss it with your physician, but ask if they know of any problems associated with the product. Research the product on the Internet. When your health is at stake, a little caution may be a good idea. ©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including Bextra-Info.net, a site devoted to the withdrawn drug Bextra and Vioxx.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Medical Tests: What Does a Normal Range Mean?
We have a marvelous array of medical tests available to us. Many of them-typically blood-tests-even come with results expressed in numbers signifying the exact quantity of something that was measured. On laboratory reports these measured quantities are often accompanied by a "normal range" for what the laboratory apparently thinks the value should have been, showing a lower number and a higher number. So if you had a laboratory test, what does it mean when your measurement falls inside or outside this range?
Causes and Types of Cerebral Palsy
In the case of Cerebral Palsy there is no one cause of this severe condition. There are many things that may increase the risk of this condition but will not cause cerebral palsy all the time. In the majority of cases and average of seventy percent, it results from brain injury before the child is even born this is known as congenital cerebral palsy this would be present from birth but may take months even years to diagnose depending on how severe it illness is. There is also a chance of acquired cerebral palsy which could happen through there being a case of meningitis or brain injuries.
Prescription Drug Side Effects: Treating From The Outside Or The Inside?
Throughout time there have always been two opposing points of view as to how to maintain good health, or how to regain it after having lost it. This conflict has continued since ancient times .... and no doubt will continue well into the future.
Medical Error Crisis
The unfortunate truth about medical errors is that they plague the poor and uninsured, reflecting the great medical inequality in our country. For those who do not consider medical errors to be a problem, consider this: medical errors kill between 44,000 and 98,000 Americans every year. This reflects the fact that medical errors kill more people per year than breast cancer, AIDS, or motor vehicle accidents. Doctors complain of inflated medical malpractice insurace costs, but medication-related errors for hospitalized patients cost around $2 billion annually.
Bextra and Vioxx -- Tips for Arthritis Relief Without Them
The recent withdrawal of Vioxx and Bextra from the marketplace, due to concerns over unwanted side effects, has many arthritis sufferers concerned. These drugs, which belong to a powerful class of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs known as COX-2 inhibitors, are quite effective at fighting the pain and inflammation of arthritis. Unfortunately, they have been linked to increased risk of strokes and heart attacks. Their manufacturers have voluntarily withdrawn them from the market.
Be Informed About The Medications You Take
The recent withdrawal of the prescription drugs Vioxx and Bextra have arthritis patients concerned about their health, lawyers busy with lawsuits, and Congress poring over thousands of pages of documents obtained from the manufacturer. The drugs, part of a family of medications known as COX-2 inhibitors, have recently been shown to increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes among users who take the drugs for long periods of time. These findings have more and more people starting to pay more attention to the drugs that are prescribed for them.
Questions to Your Physician or Psychotherapist
According to ongoing research about the needs of patients with emotional problems misinformation or shame to speak about the problem with the doctor or psychotherapist is a major limitation to treatment success. However, transparency, good information and participation in the course of the therapy is the most important factor for a lasting positive result. Maybe the following list of the most relevant questions might help you to get good information about your personal somatic or psychological problems, diagnosis and treatment options.
FDA Orders Search Engines to Stop Online Pharmacies
How Does Online Pharmacies Affect Pharmacy Leaders?
Toenail Fungus: Tips For Treatment
The medical term for toenail fungus is "onychomycosis," pronounced on * EE * ko * my * ko * sis. Despite the commonly used term "fungal toenails", onychomycosis describes both fungus and yeast infections in the nail. The prevalence in America is about 2-3%, but some have reported it as high as 13%. Even at a low estimate of 2%, this accounts for 6 million Americans with toenail fungus. Toenail fungus affects men twice as often as it affects women.
ADHD - Are there Treatment Options?
As an ADD coach I am often asked about the treatment options available for Attention Deficit Disorder. Generally when someone says "ADD" the first thing that will come to the layperson's mind is 'Ritalin' or an image of a hyperactive "Dennis-the-Menace" type. Fortunately, there is a lot more to Attention Deficit Disorder than drugs and hyperactivity. Each individual is unique and therefore different people will respond well to different treatment options.
Oral Chelation ? Is It Better Than Intravenous Chelation?
Intravenous Chelation was the most common practice until a few years back; however, with the introduction of oral chelation it became the preferred choice of most patients and doctors. There were a number of contributing factors to this shift of choice, the prime aspect being the cost factor. Though intravenous chelation would not cost you a fortune, still the cost will be way above the price of Oral Chelation. This initiated the use of oral chelation among the customers who were using intravenous chelation. Once they started using it on a regular basis the other benefits of oral chelation became more evident.
First Responder Human Hibernation Units
In the next few years paramedics, first responders and military medics will have instant hibernation devices. These devices will come in small canisters of the gas to slow the body down after replacing lost blood and/or stopping bleeding. The replacement blood will be synthetic and coagulate faster to seal the wounds and once this happens the victim of the injury will be given hibernation gas. This gas will put the person in temporary suspended animation. When multiple victims are around each person will be administered the hibernation gas as the available first responders work thru the victims in order of most injured and serious first.
Prescription Drugs from International Pharmacies Save Elderly Money
As pointed out by *Jack Shapiro, an internationally-known healthcare marketing consultant "For the first nine months of this year, the U.S. imported $40 billion in pharmaceuticals and exported only $21 billion. In 2003, we imported $50 billion and exported $23 billion." So what makes buying from your local U.S. based pharmacy any safer then purchasing from Mexico or Canada?
Eliminate Agonizing Hand Pain Quickly and Easily!
According to Dr. Nathan Wei, "The hand and wrist are the mirrors of disease." While the cause of hand pain can be a localized problem, hand pain can also be the presenting sign for other diseases.
10 Reasons To Buy Drugs From An Online Canadian Pharmacy
1. Online Canadian pharmacies offer overall best prices on Canadian drugs, as well as on international drugs. This is due to the fact that there are many online Canadian pharmacies and they lower their prices to increase the sales number.
Health Needs of Survivors of Domestic Violence
Domestic violence is not over when the victim is safe and out of harm's way. It's not
over until justice has been served. Even then, it's not over. It's not over until the
victim is safe, justice has been served, and the victim is well.
?Get Rid of Tendonitis ? Now!? Advice From An Expert?
Tendons are ropes of fibrous tissue that connect muscles to bones. It is this connection that permits joint motion. When muscles contract, they pull on the tendons which cause the bones to move. In order for tendons to glide they move inside a lubricated sheath of tissue that is lined with synovial tissue. This synovial tissue is the same type of tissue that lines the inside of joints. Tendonitis refers to a condition where the sheath through which a tendon glides becomes inflamed. This leads to severe pain. The pain usually gets worse with use of the affected joint. However, when tendonitis becomes severe, there may be pain at rest.
The Basic First Aid for Child Care Programs
We cannot help but accept the fact that children do get into trouble and sometimes emergencies when they are left in childcare programs. We just have to pray that most injuries sustained are minor such as cuts, scrapes, bruises, among others.
At Last! Good News For Gout Sufferers!
Gout, an arthritis affliction with its roots in antiquity, has not always been easy to treat. The traditional medicines employed for gout have been non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), colchicines, probenicid (Benemid), and allopurinol (Zyloprim).
A Look at the Different Acid Reflux Symptoms
Acid reflux symptoms vary in degrees of discomfort, from person to person, and within different age groups. The most common and persistent symptom is a burning sensation centered in the middle of the chest and/or throat, brought on by stomach acid that churns up onto the lining of the esophagus. This is due to the relaxing of the esophageal sphincter (valve), which remains open when it should be closed. Acid reflux also leads to one of the most unpleasant symptoms known as regurgitation of acid into the mouth, often due to overeating, or bending down after a meal.
|
