Lawmakers: We have to protect consumers from evil DTC ads
You should not be going to a doctor saying, I have restless leg syndrome whatever the hell that is or going to a doctor saying, I have the mumps, Mr. Nadler said in an interview. You should not be diagnosed by some pitchman on TV who doesnt know you whatsoever. People in Congress must think the public is stupid and that physicians will write an Rx for whatever we want. Perhaps Mr Nadler should look at the latest information from Manhattan Research that indicates that more people are using the Internet for health than ever before and then there is the data that suggests that people dont trust DTC ads on TV. Oh, thats right its not about what is right or necessary its about grabbing the spotlight for headlines.
TV drug ads are becoming less and less effected but for many reasons DTC marketers continue to use TV as their primary channel as they manipulate data to show that TV does work. Lets look at the science of marketing for a moment; in science we say what do we know...this is what we know today:
1. More people than ever are using the Internet for health (Manhattan Research)
2. DTC TV ads are the least trusted when it comes to information on new drugs (eMarketer)
3. Physicians have the final say in determining if a patient and or medication should be prescribed.
So if we know all this than why is Congress wasting time, when financial institutions are using taxpayer money to make billions and then stick it to consumers, on the drug industry? As Bob Ehrilich wrote:
In 2008, pharmaceutical manufacturers spent about $4.8 billion on direct-to-consumer television, radio, magazine and newspaper advertising, according to Nielsen Media Research. But that sum represents merely a rounding error in the estimated national health care bill of $2.4 trillion, Robert Ehrlich, a pharmaceutical marketing executive, wrote earlier this month on his blog. It is easy to criticize, even though they know the money is trivial compared to overall health spending, Mr. Ehrlich said in an interview. When every congressman can see it on the 6 oclock news, it just reinforces the problem
Congress time and time again has proved that they dont know a hell of a lot about anything and that they only skim the top when it comes to doing a deep dive on issues. This type of grandstanding is not doing anybody any good and stinks from the head down.
