Pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb has announced that they will suspend direct-to-consumer advertising for their prescription drug products for a year. This comes in the wake of the well-publicized withdrawals of Merck's Vioxx and Pfizer's Bextra, two non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) that were voluntarily withdrawn from the market recently. Studies showed that they increase the likelihood of strokes and heart attacks among patients that take them for prolonged periods of time. This represents an unusual move for a pharmaceutical company, as they tend to spend a large portion of their annual advertising budget on direct-to-consumer advertising.
It is possible that Bristol Myers recognizes that consumers are becoming concerned about new drugs being approved by the FDA and advertised heavily, only to find out later that the drugs have previously unknown and possibly dangerous side effects. Consumers have learned that advertising a drug as "new and improved" doesn't necessarily mean that it is new, or improved, or even safe. In short, customers are suspicious of pharmaceutical advertising, and the drug companies are to be commended for taking notice of that fact.
Since 1997, drug companies have been allowed by U.S. law to advertise directly to consumers. This has led to an astonishing number of ads on television and radio, as consumers see ads showing one happy person after another. The ads suggest that the happiness shown is a result of the use of the product, and a voiceover quickly mumbles through the known, and sometimes lengthy, list of side effects. Patients are encouraged to speak with their doctor, and they have been doing so in record numbers. The problem, as Bristol Myers know realizes, is that consumers are well aware that the withdrawn Bextra and Vioxx were advertised as being safe. This has naturally led to a general suspicion of all advertised drugs, and Bristol Myers correctly sees that they could be the victims of a drug-company backlash, even if they didn't manufacture any of the withdrawn products.
This will probably save Bristol Myers a lot of money in the short term, as their advertising would have largely gone to waste. The Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to make sure that the drugs that reach the U.S. market are safe, and in time, the public will again become more trusting of pharmaceutical advertising. In the meantime, TV viewers will be spared from having to watch the sometimes-cryptic drug ads, which often prompt questions of "What does this drug do?"
©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 StructuredSettlementHelp.com, a site devoted to structured settlements.
The Food and Drug administration urges people to stop taking... Read More
Monitoring your CRP level is vitally important because it is... Read More
Inflammatory disease of the bowel- regional enteritis (Crohn's disease) and... Read More
1. Seeing a doctor who's not board-certified or a doctor... Read More
Heel pain, medically termed plantar fasciitis, is a common and... Read More
When an unconscious patient arrives in the ED, every hospital... Read More
There has definitely been a good deal of controversy over... Read More
Online Pharmacy owners who haven't been working within moral and... Read More
Many researchers believe that addiction is a behavior that can... Read More
Notice friends getting contact lenses and pulling out eye glasses?"What... Read More
For years, it's been known that regular daily exercise is... Read More
Dr. Horsley is Cornea fellowship trained and Lasik board certified... Read More
There is a huge concern in the medical industry that... Read More
Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a... Read More
The American Heart Association estimates that one of three Americans... Read More
NIH Official Altered Drug StudyDr. Edmund Tramont, director of the... Read More
Pain is the body's warning signal that something is wrong.... Read More
Tendons are ropes of fibrous tissue that connect muscles to... Read More
Following the recall of Fen-Phen and Redux in 1999 (two... Read More
In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration relaxed the rules... Read More
When diversifying an investment portfolio, one needs to consider investing... Read More
Although you make a patient feel better, there isn't usually... Read More
One of the most prevalent and difficult health conditions to... Read More
Have you ever taken the drug Vioxx or celebrex? In... Read More
For the head of the trauma department at one of... Read More
This is a short overview of a questionnaire used for... Read More
On June17, 2005 Guidant Corporation recalled close to 50,000 heart... Read More
When you're in need, the quickest way is the best:... Read More
You are going to find this incredible and I assure... Read More
An estimated 85 million Americans have acquired the herpes simplex... Read More
Irritable bowel syndrome sufferers often find that they have to... Read More
Naturopathic Medicine is an holistic approach that relies on natural... Read More
Heat has long been used to provide temporary relief of... Read More
Individuals who regularly take Relafen (nabumetone) or other anti-inflammatory medications,... Read More
When you search online for Electric Wheelchairs, like any other... Read More
1. Seeing a doctor who's not board-certified or a doctor... Read More
NEW YORK, N.Y., February 18, 2004 ? On a visit... Read More
Checklist of Treatments for Alzheimer's DiseasePart 3 of 83. Three... Read More
The recent withdrawals of the prescription medications Vioxx and Bextra... Read More
Vioxx is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammagory drug (NSAID) that reduces inflammation,... Read More
Infant acid reflux is quite common. People of all ages,... Read More
Now, imagine what it would be like if you were... Read More
What is nail fungus?Nail fungus, also known as Onychomycosis, is... Read More
The drug Lorazepan is marketed under the names Alzapam, Ativan,... Read More
The unfortunate truth about medical errors is that they plague... Read More
As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid... Read More
When your knee hurts, getting relief is all that's on... Read More
Most writers suffer from a lack of discipline. The urge... Read More
A thick, yellowish nail with splotchy white areas is a... Read More
We've all had garden variety headaches from time to time.... Read More
Many researchers believe that addiction is a behavior that can... Read More
Many eye doctors believed until recently that if a child's... Read More
There has definitely been a good deal of controversy over... Read More
Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is... Read More
This past week, the FDA held a meeting in order... Read More
"As an arthritis specialist, one area that I see people... Read More
This is very sensitive area of your body. Too private.... Read More
Hypnotherapy is one of the best known and most widely... Read More
Sjogren's syndrome is an autoimmune disorder ? a disorder in... Read More
When diversifying an investment portfolio, one needs to consider investing... Read More
Chinese Medicine, over 2000 years old, is an ancient form... Read More
Recent controversy about the safety of pain medications for arthritis... Read More
Irritable bowel syndrome is a debilitating and distressing condition, which... Read More
Before computed tomographic (CT) scans became available in the 1970s,... Read More
Looking for the best doctor to suite your medical needs... Read More
Intravenous Chelation was the most common practice until a few... Read More
Medicine |