Drug makers now spend $5 billion a year on advertising. Here’s what that buys.

Who pays 5+ billion dollars a year on pharmaceutical advertising? Not the drug companies. They pass those costs on to the consumer. Americans pay more than 5 billion dollars a year on drug advertising. That doesn't include the hidden costs. Think that might have something to do with overall healthcare costs in America?

Much of that money is spent on television advertising. The AMA advocates a ban on drug marketer to public advertising. I think that's a hell of a good idea. Do you?

Even as politicians and physicians press for strict limits on prescription drug ads, the pharmaceutical industry is pouring billions into new TV and print campaigns. Ad spending soared more than 60 percent in the last four years, hitting $5.2 billion last year.

And there’s no sign it’s slowing. On the contrary: Nine prescription drugs are on pace to break $100 million worth of TV ad time this year.
STAT analyzed data from several media research firms for an exclusive look at where drug makers are putting their advertising dollars.

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Full article with graphs here.

Yes, I do.

Risky Thicket said:

Who pays 5+ billion dollars a year on pharmaceutical advertising? Not the drug companies. They pass those costs on to the consumer. Americans pay more than 5 billion dollars a year on drug advertising. That doesn't include the hidden costs. Think that might have something to do with overall healthcare costs in America?

Much of that money is spent on television advertising. The AMA advocates a ban on drug marketer to public advertising. I think that's a hell of a good idea. Do you?

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Full article with graphs here.

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Interesting. But I don't really see the problem with advertising. Caveat emptor.

Risky Thicket said:

Who pays 5+ billion dollars a year on pharmaceutical advertising? Not the drug companies. They pass those costs on to the consumer. Americans pay more than 5 billion dollars a year on drug advertising. That doesn't include the hidden costs. Think that might have something to do with overall healthcare costs in America?

Much of that money is spent on television advertising. The AMA advocates a ban on drug marketer to public advertising. I think that's a hell of a good idea. Do you?

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Full article with graphs here.

Click to expand...

There are gigantic costs that have to be recouped from drug development, and the profits from pharmaceutical sales fuel R&D in addition to bonuses. So I'd need a lot more to be convinced.

Risky Thicket said:

Who pays 5+ billion dollars a year on pharmaceutical advertising? Not the drug companies. They pass those costs on to the consumer. Americans pay more than 5 billion dollars a year on drug advertising. That doesn't include the hidden costs. Think that might have something to do with overall healthcare costs in America?

Much of that money is spent on television advertising. The AMA advocates a ban on drug marketer to public advertising. I think that's a hell of a good idea. Do you?

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Full article with graphs here.

Click to expand...

I see your logic, but

a) I do not like the government telling any law abiding company whether they can advertise or not. There are too many government rules/laws as it is...WAY to many for my taste.

And b) $5.2 billion equals less than $16 per American, per year. That is just over $1.33 per month, per person. I don't think it is having THAT big of an effect on drug prices.

I'm kind of torn.

There are still "gatekeepers" in the loop here (doctors) who are capable of, and ethically/professionally responsible for, limiting the access to these pharmaceuticals to only those people who need them out of medical necessity.

All these ads can do is drive people to their doctor to consult with him or her about the medical necessity of taking a prescription for any one or the other drugs.

I can go to my doctor tomorrow and ask for a pharmaceutical for diabetes or cancer or hepatitis treatment because I saw a cool add on TV, but unless my doctor is an outright criminal I'm going to be forking over my co-pay and walking away empty handed because I quite demonstratively do not suffer from any of the conditions that I'm seeking treatment for.

If people truly need and can benefit from these medications, and ostensibly the doctors would not be prescribing them if a patient didn't truly need and wouldn't truly benefit from them, than these advertisements are really just introducing people to a product that can increase their quality of life, provide some relief from debilitating and deadly conditions, and even provide life-saving remedies.

That isn't a bad thing.

In the case of some chronic diseases that become progressively worse over time if left untreated (diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, etc...) getting people in to see their doctors to seek treatment results in greater costs now but saves the insurance industry untold millions of dollars a year that would have to be spent later treating full-blown cases of these diseases that weren't medically managed when they were still in the early stages.

That's not a bad thing either.

I "get" that people don't like the idea of seeing these drug companies do anything that would potentially drive up the cost of medication when we've got a healthcare system that is bursting at the seams and an economy that is leaving more and more Americans behind every year.

But I don't know if limiting peoples' access to information and knowledge, about the kinds of treatments that are out there for the conditions they potentially suffer from (and potentially don't realize there are treatments for) is the best course of action.

Actually, I'll amend that - I know for a fact that limiting peoples' access to information and knowledge is ALWAYS a bad idea.