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Have you ever seen prescription drug commercials on a smart phone, tablet, laptop or television? It’s hard NOT to. They have proliferated like wildfire on a parched plain. If Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is confirmed as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services, we might see some changes.
He has proposed cutting back, if not banning outright, the barrage of prescription drug ads on TV. There will be huge resistance to such an effort. The powerful pharmaceutical industry has come to rely on this marketing strategy. It reaches both patients and prescribers. Media are also likely to object to losing a a huge source of income.
Does Everyone Need Drugs?
If space aliens suddenly landed in the U.S. and connected to our commercials, they would assume that Americans are unbelievably sick. There’s Skyrizi for ulcerative colitis or plaque psoriasis. Rinvoq is advertised for eczema and rheumatoid arthritis, Jardiance has a catchy jingle for treating type 2 diabetes as does Ozempic.
Have you ever noticed how much fun people have once they start taking the advertised medication for their challenging conditions? This reader says enough already!
Are Drug Commercials Misleading?
Q. Drug ads on TV aimed at consumers are misleading. I was diagnosed with highly aggressive rheumatoid arthritis (RA). My feet, ankles, knees and wrists are most affected.
The ads for meds to help RA sufferers show unhappy, miserable people unable to do ‘fun’ things. Then after they take the advertised med, suddenly happy people are running around doing all kinds of things with their hands and feet.
Take my word for it: true RA victims could not engage in these activities with such energy. I consider this false advertising. For my RA, I take methotrexate and a powerful intravenous biologic.
A. We agree that most prescription drug commercials emphasize the benefits and downplay the risks. The visual images of people having fun distract viewers from the list of often serious side effects such as fatal infections, lymphoma or heart failure.
The Humira TV Commercials:
Don’t believe us, take a look at this Humira commercial for rheumatoid arthritis.
In the opening scene we see a rooster crowing with the voice over telling you “this is your wakeup call.”
The announcer then goes on to scare people with RA:
“the clock is ticking on irreversible joint damage. Ongoing pain and stiffness are signs of joint erosion. Humira can help stop the clock.”
Then you begin to hear about side effects. As the announcer mentions:
“Humira can lower your ability to fight infections. Serious and sometimes fatal infections including tuberculosis and cancers including lymphoma have happened as have blood, liver and nervous system problems. Serious allergic reactions and new or worsening heart failure.”
While the side effect information is being read you see people being active and smiling. They are doing yoga or playing with a soccer ball. The scene ends with women running on a beach as the sun is setting.
What About Those Really Scary Side Effects?
The companies and their ad agencies have figured out how to get around FDA requirements to disclose some really scary side effects. They do this by creating commercials that are full of appealing distractions.
A relatively new antipsychotic drug is being advertised as an add-on treatment for hard-to-treat depression. Rexulti (brexipiprazole) is also approved for treating schizophrenia and agitation associated with Alzheimer disease.
Here is the side effect information provided in one television commercial for treating depression:
“Rexulti can cause serious side effects. Elderly dementia patients have an increased risk of death or stroke. Antidepressants may increase suicidal thoughts and actions and worsen depression in children and young adults. Report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts or feelings, or if you develop suicidal thoughts or actions. Report fever, stiff muscles and confusion, which can be life threatening or uncontrolled muscle movements which may be permanent. High blood sugar which can lead to coma or death, weight gain, increased cholesterol, low white blood cells, unusual urges, dizziness on standing, falls, seizures, trouble swallowing, or sleepiness may occur.”
The text that appears on the screen warns:
“These are not all of the side effects.”
While listening to this long and alarming list, we are watching a woman celebrate her dog’s birthday with dog treats galore, special balloons and decorations and a bone-shaped cake. Her family arrives with a cute child and lots of smiles all around. Of course, the Corgi is a distracting presence at the center of the scene.
Distracting by Smiling:
Drug companies have perfected the art of distraction. Most drug commercials have a long list of scary side effects. The best way to divert attention from words like cancer, confusion, stroke, coma or death is to show people having fun and smiling.
Next time the announcer starts reciting side effects start counting smiles. Here’s our take on the smile distraction strategy:
Do NOT Trust People Smiling During Drug Commercials
Catchy Tunes and Earworms:
Have you ever heard the term “earworm”? It’s when a tune get’s stuck in your head and is hard to dislodge. As mentioned previously, the Jardiance commercial for type 2 diabetes has a very catchy song.
Here is the Jardiance jingle:
- “I have type 2 diabetes, but I manage it well.
- “It’s a little pill with a big story to tell…
- “Jardiance is really swell
- The little pill with a big story to tell”
Ads for Trelegy to treat COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) use a catchy tune reminiscent of the Jackson 5 song “ABC.”
Singing, dancing, smiling, dogs, children and exciting action serve to distract the viewer from the obligatory list of worrisome drug side effects.
The Slow Turkey Commercials!
One of the most amazing series of commercials involved turkeys doing some very un-turkey-like things! The catch phrase was:
“It’s tough to quit smoking cold turkey. So Chantix can help you quit slow turkey.”
See for yourself by clicking on any of these commercials and tell us you are not distracted by the strong visual images of the turkey doing its human-like activities.
“Paddle Board Turkey”
“Camping Turkey”
“Cold Turkey”
Is the FDA About to Clamp Down on Distorted Drug Commercials?
We have shared what a lot of people think about prescription drug ads with the FDA. We urged people to fight back!
Are Prescription Drug Ads on TV Driving You Crazy?
Some people at the FDA may have been listening. The agency has developed guidelines for television drug commercials. The new rules are supposed to reduce distraction during the presentation of drug risks.
In addition, these ads are supposed to use simple, consumer-friendly language. Unlike many current commercials, the adverse reaction summary should not be recited more rapidly than the promotional part of the ad.
Will the New Administration Shake Things UP?
As mentioned at the start of this article, if Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is approved as the head of Health and Human Services, he will have oversight of the Food and Drug Administration. Mr. Kennedy has stated his desire to eliminate TV drug ads.
Dr. Martin (Marty) Makary is a renowned surgeon at John Hopkins University. He has been a guest on our radio show a number of times.
- Show 1400: Exposing Blind Spots: Unmasking the Myths of Modern Medicine
- Show # 1250 Antimicrobial Resistant Infections Could Be the Next Pandemic
- Show # 934: What Are Hospitals Trying to Hide
Dr. Makary points out that many beliefs and medical practices are based on dogma rather than data. Hence the title of his latest book, Blind Spots: When Medicine Gets It Wrong and What it Means for Our Health.
If Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Dr. Makary team up to restrict or eliminate prescription drug ads, many of our readers would cheer this move.
The pharmaceutical and television industries are likely to fight tooth and nail to keep these lucrative ads alive. They will doubtless cite the First Amendment free-speech clause to keep the commercials coming.
Congress will undoubtedly be deluged with messages from lobbyists representing these powerful interests. If you are fed up with drug commercials on television, you might want to let your legislators know your feelings before they get swamped by pressure from lobbyists and contributions from drug companies.
PS: Do you also dislike ads on websites like ours? We do not blame you. We wish we did not have to have any ads on www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Unfortunately, we cannot maintain this website without some revenue to offset the costs of bringing you an independent perspective on prescription drugs, vitamins, dietary supplements and home remedies. But we do have an option for you that would eliminate all ads. If you go to this link, you can browse our site ad-free by making a modest donation ($5/month). That’s the price of a fancy cup of coffee.
Please consider supporting our work by going ad-free. While you are at it, why not share this article and encourage your friends to sign up for our newsletter. It’s free and is a labor of love. Terry and I have been writing for 50+ years. It is getting harder and harder to be read and seen since drug companies control so much of what you read on the web and see on television. Thank you for your support.
Lori
People are never happy. Should these commercials be doom and gloom, then people would say they make them feel worse. Many of these meds are a godsend for people. I like learning about new products.
Joette
There should be no ads on tv for prescription drugs! Other countries don’t allow them. No wonder our drug prices are so high.
Jeanni
Big pharma should not be allowed to advertise at all. Your doctor knows what prescription drugs you should be on.
I personally do not take any prescription drugs, and I am eighty years old. And not because my doctor hasn’t suggested any. All I have to do is read all the side effects, and I research to see if there is something natural that will help me instead. If not, oh well.
It just amazes me how many of us are taking at least one prescription drug and, if you are a senior, how many are taking four or more prescription drugs daily. All these drugs have side effects, and the more you take the more likely you will have side effects.
K
When I see some of those ads I remark to my spouse: Some possible side effects is your left arm falls off and your hair turns bright blue.
I mentioned this to my very good PCP and he agreed. We work together to get my issues resolved without Big Pharma products. Not always possible but we try.
Martha
To say nothing of cost- recently prescribedndrug for dry eye – hardly life threatening – imagine my surprise when I went to pick it up and the cost was —-$480 – thanks but no thankx
Betty
Apparently diabetes is the happiest disease you can hope to have if you take any one of the “happy” medications advertised. Makes you WANT to have it. What a farce. The new weight loss drugs try to conceal the side effects that could easily stop your digestion and put you in the hospital with a serious digestive issue. In addition to that , not all people lose as much weight as implied which is depressing and makes you feel like you are doing something wrong. I am not a happy diabetic due to the multitude of problems associated with the disease, and I only lost 12 lbs. on Ozempic after 2 years, followed by removal of a foot of my colon when the slow down of digestion aided diverticulitis to the point where my intestine had a tear in it. How much fun am I having???????
Sherry
Although I still believe the commercials for drugs should remain on TV as that’s the only way the public will hear about all the side effects, the smiling & dancing needs to stop and concentrate more on those side effects. My daughter has severe perianal Crohns and has been on several of those drugs and i only wish and pray she could be dancing around but those drugs almost killed her and her doctors still say it’s not the drugs!
Debra
Commercials should not even be allowed. We can’t purchase these drugs and our medical prescribers, doctors, do not need to be pressured into selling drugs. It’s a complete money game.
Jan
The ads for the new medication for TED do not even mention the name of the medication because they don’t want to have to list the side effects, nor do they admit that its benefits are short-lived, and the side effects of the med (Tepezza) are long-lived. And it seems doctors prescribe it with the same lack of informed consent. Word of advice, do your own research.
Advertisements are meant to sell, not to educate, and I look at all of them with that in mind.
Ads for Medicare Advantage Plans (which I call Disadvantage Plans) are as misleading as the medication ads. They fail to talk about the need to get everything pre-approved, they fail to say that co-pays for things other than those they advertise in their ads as having no co-pays are unaffordable (like co-pays for specialists and various therapies), they fail to say how many treatments they will not approve that Medicare will approve, etc.
Doing research and not believing a word in ads (whether said or sung or portrayed) is the way to survive.
Mary
My husband and I were perplexed by the Opdivo commercials that asked “Wouldn’t you like the chance to do more living?”. If you’ve got non-small cell lung cancer that is not responding to other meds, and you take Opdivo you are not likely to be out watching the grandkids’ ballgame or taking a hike in the woods. And the fine print says it only gives you about another few weeks to as much as 3 months longer to live. But what kind of shape are you in??
Joaquin
It would be nice to have a natural alternative listed in a comments box next to the drug, thus giving people more alternatives to their problems. Remember, many drugs interact, and many seniors are on multiple drugs from multiple drs. Can you say “ching/ching?” I know that some herbals especially interact with many meds. We need to lower the costs to approve new meds, thus lowering the time of patents, therefore getting cheaper generic alternatives to the people. Thanks.
Betty
I am diabetic. I am not happily dancing around all the time. The ads show people all excited about taking the once-a-week non-insulin options, but what they don’t tell you is that you lose weight because you are sick all the time. On Trulicity I was sick to my stomach with nausea and diarrhea for a good six weeks. Of course I lost weight! They barely warn about the frequent incidence of low blood sugar, but do not stress the danger of death from it as much as they need to. After several years on Trulicity I am still not dancing around and still not happy to be diabetic.
Cindy
This is exactly what I do about drug commercials: HIT THE MUTE BUTTON IMMEDIATELY. Man! I detest being treated like an idiot.
Rob
My husband and I chucked cable tv. The drug commercials are ridiculous and are so repetitive! Neither one of us is on any medication and plan to stay that way as long as possible.
Got time? Get up and go for a walk if you can!
LI
Yes, as a psychotherapist, I, too, have some concerns about television drug advertisements, especially for psychotropic medications. I think the ads can be misleading in that they portray the person with the designated mental illness as having all these life problems, then taking the advertised medication, and suddenly everything is fine. Hmm… Let’s just take depression as an example. Anti-depressants can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks to fully take effect. So, no the patient isn’t just going to take a pill and all will be well. This type of advertising can set patients up for false expectations and then disappointment when the medication doesn’t lead to instant results.
Margaret
It’s disgusting. But we’re living in the post-truth era, so don’t expect any government agency to react positively to complaints. Only profits for corporations matter; people don’t.
Barbara
Try closing your eyes and just listening to these commercials. It changes your perspective.
Cordeliacrockett
The only daily drug I will ever take is Olmesartan, which replaced Benicar. Too many side affects of the rest.
Susan
I live in Ontario, Canada. I do not believe that this type of television advertising for ‘drugs’ is permitted here, since I think that the only ads of this type we do see are on the U.S. stations we sometimes watch — we quickly mute the sound. If these ads wouldn’t be encouraging and influencing so many suffering from medical issues, they might be laughable.
Richard
I had to laugh when I saw the title of your article. Not only are they shown happy taking the drug, but they’re shown unhappy, life in danger, by not taking the drug. Why are overweight people shown in the diabetic drug commercials, when weight may be their problem? Our area has had a hospital rebrand itself and you would think going there is as much fun as Disneyland, according to the commercials. Are we becoming that gullible?
Barbara
I have complained for years to every magazine accepting drug ads, even cancelled subscriptions with a letter of complaint. People should not be choosing prescription drugs based on TV ad’s or 5 page ads in your favorite cooking magazine. This just adds to the cost of the drug, for all of us, directly or indirectly, hurting those who really need them.
Costs of all medical procedures are out of control, bankrupting all of us. Nothing is free, somebody pays for the BS…..
Dave
I’ve noted for years that the drug ads create an atmosphere of relaxation and play while stating the cautions for their products. Cautions on cigarette boxes never did this. Drug companies should be required to state their required cautions on a black background with the only sound being that of the ad’s voice.
Mary
Do we dislike ads on your website? Well I almost laughed out loud when the very next ad on your website was “Fruit Loops Birthday Cake Cereal.” What a box of sugar & bad health that is! The real winners are the conglomerate corporations and pharmaceutical companies who laughing all the way to the bank while all of us carrot-chompers wonder why sheeple are so unhealthy!
Joe Graedon
Mary, we wish our website could exist without ads! You can go ad-free by supporting this effort. Just go to
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/go-ad-free/
Help us eventually eliminate ads for everyone!
Anne
Totally agree about the drug commercials on TV. Is it any wonder that people want to take prescription drugs as advertised. In my opinion the ads just encourage people to take more drugs and now the drug companies are being blamed for the opiode crisis. Yes, they are part of the problem but what about the doctors who prescribed the drugs. Of course, there is really one purpose for blaming only the drug companies and that is where the money will come from. And as others have noted I mute the drug ads.
Wendy
I thought I was the only one annoyed by these commercials with the smiling faces while the announcer is spewing out numerous possible side effects. I even mentioned it to my doctor recently who only smiled but didn’t comment. The matter was put in perspective when a doctor on NBC stated that all drugs have side effects a few months ago. Many of these drugs are challenging to take and also expensive, and lately there have been stories of people who are losing their lives because they cannot afford their medications. These commercials are nothing to smile about and need to stop. I don’t have a problem with these companies putting the benefits of what they are selling out there, but you don’t have to smile about it. Or maybe they are smiling over all of the potential monetary benefits.
Lucille
Drug companies don’t care if their products are damaging as long as they can convince doctors to keep prescribing them, and insurance companies to pay for them.
Debbie
Something else to be noted, is people with health conditions in need of medication see these misleading commercials, and insist that their Dr. prescribe that specific drug, when in reality it may not be the best solution for them.
Gene
Why not record the show and fast forward through ALL the commercials? It’s a shame that the USA and New Zealand are the only two countries that allow drug commercials on tv.
Jane
Well of course they smile. They are getting paid! Ever notice too that all look trim, and fit; accepted standards of beauty, and seem to be sailing or inspecting the vineyard or some other thing indicating wealth? People look at the beautiful overstuffed burgers and sandwiches and buy into those myths too tho the reality is far different. Big Pharma counts on wishful thinking and gullibility.
Kirk
TV commercials for prescription drugs should never have been made legal. There are literally drug commercials every break in programming on sattelite TV in the afternoon when I get off of work. What really irritates me are the statements at the end. “Having trouble affording (insert drug name here)? We might be able to help.” This is like stealing someone’s wallet then offering to help the victim search for it.
Sunny
I’ve learned to close my eyes to shut out all those happy-mood pictures & just LISTEN to what they are saying. There are a lot of those drugs I’ll never take because the treatment (never a cure!) is more dangerous than the condition.
I especially wonder about the drug for COPD that says not to take if you have asthma because it contains an ingredient that can cause death in asthmatics. Then it says the risk for COPD is unknown. Wait…what?!?!?
Connie
I have felt exactly the same way! The blood thinner commercials are awful. The grandma is jogging in town with a smile on her face. Even not on medication, runners are focused on their run and are not smiling. My husband was on blood thinners 3 months and was sick and miserable the whole time from side effects. He wasn’t out smiling and jogging in the park.
Ernest R
It is Pointless to contact the FDA about any drug commercial! The pharmacutical industry Owns the power leadership of the FDA. A simple check of the consistent source of FDA leadership coming from the pharmacutical industry should veriy this assumption. The answer to every question is $$$$!!
Janie
Re: drug commercials. Yes, watching the actors smiling and having a delightful time while listening to a list of potential life-threatening side effects is distracting and annoying. Consider replacing the actors with the text being read.
Anne
You have to think that someone besides the drug companies are profiting from these ads. We keep hearing about healthcare reform and the need for more affordable prescription prices, yet nothing happens. Those ads are well produced and expensive, and they get a lot of play time. Yet the people we elect give us just enough lip service to make us think they care while never actually doing anything. What’s the “pay off” for them?
I find it hard to believe that most people believe any of the garbage in those ads. All I hear is that list of side effects being quietly read in the background (notice how they’ve speeding through so it’s barely understandable). How often do you hear the word “death?” I hear it in just about every ad.
Lisa H
My husband will immediately mute the television when a drug commercial comes on. I detest them. It is pure insanity how big pharma can continue to keep churning these ads out. A vicious cycle, as we see more drug commercials than any other type, especially during the news. Even now, I’ve noticed they are increasing on the weekends. Brainwashing at its best..and sadly, billions of people are dying a slow death..yet believe their drugs are a miracle.
Hans
All such advertising is misleading.
It also makes one aware that one needs a good chunk of money to afford such wonderful solutions.
I also do not expect to tell the doctor what I need, that is his obligation.