This topic came to me after settling in with a magazine the other day. I love when new magazines come in the mail, it means that I can take some quiet time to wander through them and I don't feel terribly guilty about the "me" time. But when did advertising for prescription drugs take over our magazines with several pages of advertising for their product?
Now I have to admit, I have a background in advertising. I studied it in college and then purchased and designed advertising for several years for a not for profit. I do not hold the magazines responsible for the ads, they are just trying to make money. Heck if you could sell several pages in your magazine to one company wouldn't you do it? But where does it stop? I will not name the publication that I was reading but in its 136 pages there were 19 pages devoted to prescription drug advertising. Several of these ads spanned 2-4 pages, making me turn several pages before I found the content I was wanting to read.
As someone with a health issue, I have viewed these ads with interest. At one time, I read all the information on these drugs because I wanted to know if maybe they could help me. I also did a great deal of research on line and on message boards about some of the drugs that might help me with my fibromyalgia. When one is suffering don't you want something that looks promising to give you your life back?
I know these drugs have helped many, many people and I am very glad that they do. But should these ads be everywhere? I often believe that some people then feel that they can diagnose themselves and go into the doctor's office wanting certain prescriptions for their ailments. Have you read some of the side effects on some of these drugs?!? As someone who seems to suffer many of the side effects, or who has strange side effects from many drugs, I have to honestly say that these ads scare me. In addition, I found a great deal more information on line and on message boards from others actually using the drugs then I did from these ads.
What do you think? Do you like all these advertisements for prescription drugs? Do you feel like they actually give you good information? Am I the only one who hates paging through 4 pages of drug information when I am trying to enjoy some "me" time? Let me know what you think.....
I am linking up with Found the Marbles for Thoughtful Thursdays. Thanks for visiting me here on the hill. Leave me a comment to let me know that you stopped by and please stop by and visit me again.
Now I have to admit, I have a background in advertising. I studied it in college and then purchased and designed advertising for several years for a not for profit. I do not hold the magazines responsible for the ads, they are just trying to make money. Heck if you could sell several pages in your magazine to one company wouldn't you do it? But where does it stop? I will not name the publication that I was reading but in its 136 pages there were 19 pages devoted to prescription drug advertising. Several of these ads spanned 2-4 pages, making me turn several pages before I found the content I was wanting to read.
As someone with a health issue, I have viewed these ads with interest. At one time, I read all the information on these drugs because I wanted to know if maybe they could help me. I also did a great deal of research on line and on message boards about some of the drugs that might help me with my fibromyalgia. When one is suffering don't you want something that looks promising to give you your life back?
I know these drugs have helped many, many people and I am very glad that they do. But should these ads be everywhere? I often believe that some people then feel that they can diagnose themselves and go into the doctor's office wanting certain prescriptions for their ailments. Have you read some of the side effects on some of these drugs?!? As someone who seems to suffer many of the side effects, or who has strange side effects from many drugs, I have to honestly say that these ads scare me. In addition, I found a great deal more information on line and on message boards from others actually using the drugs then I did from these ads.
What do you think? Do you like all these advertisements for prescription drugs? Do you feel like they actually give you good information? Am I the only one who hates paging through 4 pages of drug information when I am trying to enjoy some "me" time? Let me know what you think.....
I am linking up with Found the Marbles for Thoughtful Thursdays. Thanks for visiting me here on the hill. Leave me a comment to let me know that you stopped by and please stop by and visit me again.
I'm here from Thoughtful Thursdays, and I can't stand those ads - same with the ones on tv (which half the time just show people running through fields of wheat in slow motion and never even tell you what the drug does - though they do list the 500 side effects). Call me old fashioned, but I trust my doctor to tell me which meds will work best for me, not a magazine or tv ad.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely-- the ads on tv drive me nuts too. I was just shocked to see so many pages focused on these ads. I am glad that I was able to read about the 500 side effects for these drugs because I then was able to tell my doctor that I did not want to try them. He still pushed them but I am still dealing with the after effects of the other drugs I was on and its been over a year since I stopped them.
ReplyDeleteSo it makes me shutter that some people probably go to their doctor and ask specifically for some of these drugs figuring it will give them the running in the field life!
Thanks for your comment- I love it!
I don't like the ads for prescription drugs (especially the ones on tv! ugh). I am less likely to be interested in taking a medication I have seen an ad for, because I just don't trust them.
ReplyDelete