Posted by Snoozy on June 25, 2003, at 1:21:34
In reply to Are commercials for scheduled drugs illegal?, posted by MB on June 25, 2003, at 0:42:03
I haven't seen that ad yet, but I keep hearing in my mind "Aahhhh...Strattera". I've taken allergy meds but never lolled in fields of ragweed or went rock climbing lol! I love that social-anxiety Paxil ad with the really pathetic looking woman cowering in the elevator.
My guess would be that drugs co.s can't advertise the scheduled drugs to the general public. I think you're totally right that the message is "now your doctor won't have to be afraid to treat you".
All of this reminded me of an ad I copied from a medical publication - I think it was about 10 years ago. It says "Almost anyone can be a model of chronic fatigue but....
{huge letters}Ritalin sparks energy in minutes"The ad graphic is a picture of a guy dressed like dour old Whistler's mother (of the famous painting), throwing off "her" shawl.
Here's some of the text from the ad:
(Ritalin) offer safety in treating chronic fatigue and mild depression: Unlike amphetamines, Ritalin rarely affects blood pressure or heart rate; it has not been associated with muscle tremors or urinary retention as have the potent MAO inhibitors or tricyclic compounds. And toxic or adverse effects on blood, urine, liver or kidney function are not to be anticipated. For these reasons, Ritalin proves especially valuable for the elderly"
Maybe the Mona Lisa can get an endorsement deal with Lexapro or something :)
> I saw a new "Adult ADD" commercial on TV last night. It was sponsored by Lilly with a reference to their web site, so I assume they are promoting Strattera. I've never seen an ADD commercial before. Actually, before Paxil was approved for GAD (back when benzos were the primary approved treatment) I hadn't seen a commercial for GAD. Then all of a sudden, there they were! Now we have a non-scheduled drug approved for ADD, and here come the commercials. Why is it that there aren't any commercials for a mental illness until a non-scheduled drug is approved for it? I mean, you'd never see a Roche commecial addressing viewers, "Are you suffering from sleepless nights and constant worry? Ask your doctor about Xanax..." or a commercial from Abbot saying, "Do you get distracted easily, do you have a difficult time organizing your life? Ask your doctor about Desoxyn..."
>
> Now here come these commercials as if these illnesses are "new", as if the medical community has "just discovered them". The only thing that's new is that some drugs have been approved for the illnesses that aren't scheduled. So, I guess what I'm wondering is whether the drug companies are *afraid* to advertise their scheduled drugs, or if it is actually illegal to advertise a scheduled drug.
>
> Either way, it kinda makes me mad. The message I get is this: "now that we have a non-scheduled drug for your illness, it's safe to talk to your doctor about the possibility you might have this..." or worse yet, "now that we have a non-scheduled drug for your illess, your doctor won't have to be afraid to treat you."
>
> MB
poster:Snoozy
thread:236851
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030624/msgs/236865.html