“God damn the Pusher Man.”
Steppenwolf
I don’t know about you, but I find that some of the most entertaining TV commercials are those for prescription drugs. The networks show them around dinner time. The ads are inherently upbeat, showing “average” people in idyllic / fantasy settings; the voiceover artists’ mellifluous voices lulling us to indulge in a drug-altered Eden. When it comes to the side effects, however, they typically speed up so their words are barely intelligible.
The only two countries where direct to consumer (DTC) advertising of prescription drugs is legal are the U.S. and New Zealand. In our country, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates these ads to ensure they are neither false nor misleading. However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has criticized the FDA for its inability to ascertain that all ads are reviewed adequately.
“As of May, 2011, the average number of prescriptions for new drugs with DTC advertising is nine times greater than prescriptions for new drugs without DTC ads.”[1]
According to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, pharmaceutical companies make $4.00 for every $1.00 spent on advertising. The money spent by advertisers is then passed onto the consumer. The consumer is far more likely to ask his/her doctor for drugs that he/she has seen in a TV commercial, and if the doctor does not comply, the consumer may become irate or go elsewhere for a fix.
Among my favorite commercials are:
1. Mirapex for restless leg syndrome or RLS. Side effects include drowsiness, and increased gambling, sexual or “other” intense urges.
2. Yasmin or Yaz, birth control pill. Side effects include deep vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism, blood clots and risk of blood clots, weight gain, kidney failure, depression, seizures, stroke, heart attack and death. Women over 35 who smoke are at increased risk of these side effects. According to Jane Mundy (LawyersandSettlements.com), many young women contracted gall bladder disease after using Yaz. Whoops, no gall bladder, but at least they won’t get pregnant.
3. Ambien, for insomnia. Side effects include worsening of, or development of, depression, hallucinations, suicidal ideation, aggressive behavior, sleepwalking and “bizarre behavior.” (Narconon).
4. Abilify for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Side effects include blurry vision, constipation, drooling, high blood pressure, vomiting, dizziness, headache, uncontrollable movements of the face, tongue and other parts of the body, stroke, heart attack and death. It should not be prescribed to elderly dementia patients.My mother was prescribed Abilify and took it for months before we knew she had Alzheimer’s disease. Who knows if this contributed to or worsened her condition.
Mom’s former GP, aka “Dr. Feelgood”, prescribed Ativan (Lorazepam) for many years, although she knew she was overmedicating. I spoke to Dr. Feelgood many times about this, but Mom had her wrapped around her little finger. Mom would freak out if she could not get her prescription filled immediately. On the one hand, it calmed her down; on the other, it could have killed her. She was supposed to take 1 mg twice a day, but she routinely took at least 3 mg at night to help her sleep, putting her into an almost comatose state. Ativan is contra-indicated for elderly patients because it can cause unsteadiness, resulting in falls and hip fractures.
I feel somewhat responsible for not curbing the flow of Ativan into her veins, which went on for many years, but she was an independent woman so there wasn’t much I could do. When I was a child, she took Valium to sleep, and later Nardil and a host of other drugs for anxiety and depression.
Confession time. I take prescription drugs too: Pantoprazole for acid reflux, Celexa for depression, Klonopin for anxiety and the occasional Ambien to sleep. My whole life I swore I would never take psychotropic meds because I grew up with a mentally ill, addicted mother, but here I am. My goal is to eventually get off the psychotropics, not a New Year’s resolution, but a goal. First I have to start a new exercise regime.
I say today’s Pusher Man is Big Pharma and our friendly neighborhood doctors. Don’t let those white coats and Ultra Bright smiles fool you.
[1] Congressional Budget Office (CBO), “Potential Effects of a Ban on Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of New Prescription Drugs,” www.cbo.gov, May 26, 2011
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Comments
as long as the ads are accurate, and contain the appropriate warnings, i see little problem.
in fact, when I watch the network news in the evening - which is almost 100% sponsored by medicines - i often wonder who in their right mind would jot downt the convoluted latin name of some obscure drug which promises side effects such as nausea, elevated blood pressure, headaches, and risk of heart failure.
as far as advertising goes, i feel the nation is more undermined by beer ads on TV.
alcohol is still the nation's number one killer. and none of the budwiser ads contain a warning that side effects include obeisity, loss of brain function, and fatal car crashes. as an addictive over the counter mind altering substance, it should be required to have a more complete disclosure.
Things maybe won't change until the zombies start causing real danger. Major motion picture level.
Very sad. Thanks for posting this story.
R♥
Scanner, Absolutely. Of course you have to take your pain meds and whatever else is essential. I take meds too. I'm just against the grotesque overzealous advertising of often unnecessary, dangerous drugs.
Baltimore, Points well taken. I agree about the alcohol ads, they are obscene. And, yes, alcohol is another killer. I agree completely.
Jon, lemmings "r" us.
Divorcedpauline, Yes, the side effects don't strike everyone, but they do strike some. As a living example, I took a new sinus spray today (have bad allergies and frequent sinusitis) called Omnaris, prescribed by my ENT yesterday. I've been feeling manic for the past 3 hours and almost had a nervous breakdown in the car while taking my cat to the vet.
Barbara, Yes, I love the anal bleeding (eeew!). Yes, it is awful if you can't afford the drugs you need and the drugs should be more affordable. Without insurance, I'd never be able to buy my prescriptions. Each costs about $300 a bottle (30 tablets). It's sickening.
Mary, that's right. The zombies must unite! Thanks for stopping by.
Fusun, Thank you. Yes, I love that commercial too, bathing outdoors by sunset. Dreamy!
John, Exactly. So many die of prescription drug overdoses, including the King, Elvis. Died in a hotel bathroom choking on his own vomit. What a way to go.
I'm not saying all this in your post as much as I am to the inevitable stream of comments about how medication is a cop out, people's problems are made up, etc. etc.
By the way, I'm really sorry to hear that about your mom. You shouldn't feel responsible; there isn't much you could have done.
If we were rational, you couldn't advertise cigarettes at all, everyone who currently smokes would need an RX to continue and no one could buy them over-the-counter otherwise.
If we were rational, alcohol wouldn't be advertised either, nor any substance with such obvious addictive qualities which impair judgement and do so much harm.
And if we were rational, we would have started subjecting many forms of advertising to scrutiny and proof testing, long before Big Pharma came along to use the same techniques to make you believe that the good sex life, freedom from pain and ability to turn back the tide of bad living (more irrational decisions, given how much information is out there for anyone to learn about nutrition, exercise and *preventive* medicine) without the anal leaking, came along.
My Mum took Lorazepam too. She kept the bottle hidden in her dresser but I saw it as a kid when rooting around. Once I learned what Ativan was, I could identify the anxiety I grew up with.
Fantastic song to fit your post.
One less zombie consumer or consumer zombie to the mix.
Sadly, the big Pharma and alcohol and tobacco can advertise, but the Medical Marijuana issue is being hotly contested as "dragging our country into the gutter" after all, it's the gateway drug -- unless you have a prescription. I mean a prescription for a drug some company sells legally, that's okay.
Another great song to cap this off is, "Mother's Little Helper" by the Rolling Stones, which came out very close in time to "Pusher Man" and has a catchier tune to boot.
And if you take more of those,
You will take an overdose,
No more running for the shelter
Of your Mother's Little Helper
Helps to get you through your night,
Helps to minimize your plight.
--r--
Occupy Your Mind
My friend Kat is from Belgium, but has had several American friends. She is amazed that we all know the names of most drugs and what they do and their side-effects. Europeans are not nearly as pharmaceutically inclined as Americans are to address health issues. Less is more for them, and their overall diet, exercise and occupation play a far greater role in their health care (and most Euopeans have universal coverage, so that says something about their attitude toward drug companies trying to convince people they need their product). It is illegal to advertise drugs there. Their opinion is it is up to the doctor to keep up to date on new drugs, and only doctors should be making these decisions.
My first doctor in Beijing was an 80+ year old from some European country. I take Seroquel nightly for insomina, and clonazapam for anxiety as needed. After one prescription for 10 tablets, he refused to fill the clonazapam further because it could "cause dependency". (I have bi-polar and have taken both those drugs since 1997). I switched doctors, (there are only 5 shrinks in all of Beijing) and love my new one, and asked her why did he act that way about the clonazapam. She said, "He is a dinosaur who should not be in practice anywhere. ALL bi-polars have anxiety."
I have never become dependent on clonazapam because I do not take it daily. There are times when under a lot of stress my brain won't calm down enough for the Seroquel to kick in, so I take the clonazapam one hour before the Seroquel, and that way I do not have to take a "double dose" of that VERY EXPENSIVE drug, but it is a miracle drug. It saved my life, and at the end of that, that is what counts.
Great post!
Regretfully, this is the state we are in today. We listen to a nameless voice on the telly (a paid voice actor with no medical knowledge to speak of) tell us what medications we need, instead of acutally heeding the advice of our medical care provider who has many years of college and medical practice under his/her belt.
We eat zombies...er...wait, I mean we as consumers are zombies. (Thanks Matt Paust for the chuckle) We are sheep...lemmings even. It saddens me.
Very well written.
(r)
And though I appreciate that much of advertising supports arts and entertainment production, I distrust the whole business side of the medical industry. Individual people (shareholders) should not be personally profiting off of people's illness. The whole thing should be a network of non-profits, with unpaid, expert governance boards, from research to service to production. Not government, but NGO. At least, that's what I'd like to see happen. That might swing the balance towards more helpful approaches, as opposed to greedy selfish ones.
Where's the voice saying maybe you need to change your life? It's pretty much understood that many unhappy housewives were prescribed Valium when maybe what they needed was a divorce, a career, and a new life.
We need to get over bipolar craziness of assuming that either no one ever needs a drug or that all that are prescribed are necessary.
I was shocked when I had some prescriptions filled in the States at the cost. It was what should have been a cheapish generic and the cost for a small bottle was over 30$. It's crazy. All the drug stores assumed I'd have coverage for medications, something I never thought was needed, until I saw US prices.
When is the country going to stand up and admit we're being gouged?
saluti
I befriended a pharmacist who does drug pricing for a huge pharmaceutical company. She won’t take anything but aspirin because of side effects and how often drugs are taken off the market. That really scared me. I guess you have to do your research and weigh your options and do the best to take care of yourself.
Please don't feel responsibile for your mom taking too much meds. Dr. Feelgood shouldn't have prescribed so much to her, and I'm sure you couldn't watch her all the time.
Thank you for your post. And for weaving your funny sense of humor into it!
aboudd, I often hit the mute button, but sometimes I need a good laugh, so I keep the volume on.
Scarlett, I think you probably benefited more from the recreational drugs. So your mom took Lorazepam too. Valley of the Dolls!
dunniteowl, medical marijuana will not yield profits for the pharmaceutical companies and might indeed lessen their profits if people find more pain relief from Mary Jane than they do from Percocet, Vicodin and other painkillers. I was hooked on Percocet for almost a year when I had a cervical spine condition, but perhaps, some pot may have done more good.
Donegal Descendant, Absolutely right. The doctors and other medical professionals (nurse practitioners for one) can make a fortune from speaking engagements promoting the latest drugs.
Kate,
I know. I lived in Germany for a year and even though I was working part-time as a teaching assistant on a Fulbright scholarship, I was covered 100% for all doctors' visits and prescription meds. Amazing. And yes, they are healthier, less pharma-oriented people.
I hear you on the Clonazepam. I take it to settle me down when I have panic attacks. I feel totally non-functional sometimes at work and must do something to calm down. Thanks for reading.
Thoth, Yes, in America it's business as usual. Thanks for stopping by.
Heinz, I hate to say that even doctors wrongly prescribe meds at times , but yes, better to heed their advice given on a TV commercial.
Helvetica, Absolutely not. As I said in the post, I take drugs too. Wish I could be drug-free, but some of us need drugs to stay alive.
That is an excellent idea. If it were non-profit, consumers perhaps would reap the benefits instead of Big Pharma.
I like that, the "pharmacy rep bribery system." Well said. Thank you for reading.
Malusinka, Good question. When are we going to stand up?
Roberto, I'd like to see some of the ads in Italy. Aren't any of them funny? Saluti
Joanne, I'm not sure about the anal leaking drug. Will have to get back to you on that one. Ha ha!
Great point, you are funny.
Thanks.
Way more money is spent on advertising than on individuals passing out samples; way more money was spent on samples than rep salaries. Without the samples, many people would be in way more trouble financially.
You will see more and more change. The paradox of all this is that some drugs might never have existed without pharma research. The statin has saved tons of lives, for example.
Many of the regulated psychiatric drugs in this country can be purchased OTC in other places. I'm not sure that's a good thing.
The "free market" comes with bad and good, and in pharma, its not looking very good.
In my opinion pharmaceutical advertising is irresponsible. It raises the costs; and the consumer/patients end up with the tab...its criminal that some people have to choose between buying food and buying their prescription meds in this country. Selecting medication is a very personal and at times difficult decision made with one's physician. It should not be out there in the public forum of choices along with cereals, sodas and car insurance. I live with auto immune diseases and have been on numerous pharmaceutical medications for almost 20 years. A few are advertised and Enbrel is one, for rheumatoid arthritis. It enrages me to no end when I see healthy perky people portrayed-enjoying life without a care in the world. Enbrel costs over $3000 a month for those without insurance. It's for folks with moderate to severe RA. We are not perky; we are severely and chronically ill, struggling with pain and fatigue that would knock an elephant out. There's no cure-and yet Enbrel and the other medications (biologics-chemotherapy drugs) have numerous, serious side effects-some can land us in the hospital. It's a difficult choice to weigh out the side effects and benefits in selecting one of these medications. Advertising has corrupted our society; and its high time to educate ourselves-fight back against consumerism-and the high costs of pharmaceutical drugs.
Nonetheless, there's definitely an ad for an ED product (prescription only) on Australian TV, but it may only mention the manufacturer's name, not the actual drug (the famous one). I'm pretty sure it says to ask your doctor if you are experiencing ED difficulties.
This obviates, I suppose, the need for an effective sales force for the manufacturer of the drug. *We* become the salesperson for the drug. Brilliant.
I love unrestrained capitalism! I just love it.
Down on the Pharm
Tune in on the boob tube any time a day
Big Pharma on the TV tryin' to make some hay
Got a purple pill for this, a yellow pill for that
Got ninety-nine ways to try and skin this cat
Big Pharma, first do no harm
You’re an over-priced drug pusher
That’s why I’m down on the Pharm
If you’re feelin’ low down, you can’t get it up
Take a little blue pill, feel like a young pup
Erectile dysfunction done got outa hand
Ain’t no older woman wants a four-hour man
Big Pharma, first do no harm
You’re an over-priced drug pusher
That’s why I’m down on the Pharm
Big Pharma hit the big time – Medicare Part D
The Devil’s in the D-tales, but they can’t fool me
Pimps all over K-Street, tryin’ to make a score
You might be a rich man, but you’re still a whore
Big Pharma, first do no harm
You’re an over-priced drug pusher
That’s why I’m down on the Pharm
Congress in their pocket; Pharma in the dell
People in the poor house, we're all bound for hell
I called down to DC, my congressman said quote
“Like to help you, son, but they done bought my vote”
Big Pharma, first do no harm
You’re an over-priced drug pusher
That’s why I’m down on the Pharm
Look at my poor momma, purse is full a pills
Don’tcha know them doctors is a bunch a shills
My back’s about to give out; I’m blind in my one eye
So leave me the hell alone, and just let me die
Big Pharma, first do no harm
You’re an over-priced drug pusher
That’s why I’m down on the Pharm
©2011 Tom Cordle
R
Karen, Yes, that is nuts, isn't it?
the flylooper, yes, I believe that is part of the agenda. Capitalism "r" us!
Andrew, I think they want us to break out into cold sweats during or after dinner and call our doctor the following day. We are a fear-based culture.
Tom, great poem! And I agree, exercise helps a lot, but I had a serious injury 5 years ago that has made it nearly impossible for me to get onto a regular exercise regimen. Going to start kung fu class on Monday!
Annie, thanks. I try to blend the light and the dark.
I cut my high blood pressure pill in half (a 40 mg pill costs the same as a 20 mg pill and I only need 20 mg.) One morning i got out of the shower, took my BP pill, dressed and left. I recovered several hours later lost, unable to remember where I was supposed to be, and hallucinating. Eventually I got enough orientation to get back home. My wife thought I had had a stroke. We counted pills and figured out that I had taken her half Ambien by mistake. I have no idea what i did for the hours that I don't remember.
DTC marketing was what created the FDA in the first place; snake oil salesmen on the back of a wagon were bilking consumers with at best worthless potions. The FDA accepted its role of monitoring the testing of new drugs for safety and efficacy, but abandoned the role of preventing direct marketing. In most cases the potential side effects are much worse than the condition the drug is supposed to address. R
The alternative doctor we see now, got out of mainstream when the big pharma companies "paid" another doctor at his hospital with a trip to the Bahamas because the guy sold the most prescriptions of Prozac that year. If this isn't the definition of corruption, I don't know what is...excellent post
Heidi, yes, the docs are financially rewarded for "pushing" the drug du jour onto his/her patients. Not the way it used to be (back in the stone ages, when we were growing up, LOL).
C. Berg, yes, we are ultimately responsible for what we put into our bodies. We all do the best we can. Thanks for reading.