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Drugs You Don't Need for Disorders You Don't Have
Article

Drugs You Don't Need for Disorders You Don't Have

Inside the Pharmaceutical Industry's Campaign to Put Us All to Sleep


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Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Innovative

Recommendation

Do drug advertisements really help American consumers? Do they make people more aware of newer, better treatment options? Or are these ads just keeping pharmaceutical companies profitable as true innovation diminishes? Senior national correspondent for The Huffington Post, Jonathan Cohn, successfully addresses these questions through expert analysis of the effect of drug ads upon consumer behaviors and exploration of possible remedies to misleading drug marketing practices. getAbstract recommends Cohn’s findings to everyone interested in consumer advocacy and health care trends.

Summary

The United States is one of the only nations in the world that allows drug manufactures to market prescription medications directly to consumers. Prior to the 1980s, drug sales pitches focused on physicians. Then, in 1981, Merck ran its first consumer-directed ad in the Reader’s Digest; other pharmaceutical companies soon followed suit. Some argue that drug ads benefit the public by increasing awareness about diseases and treatment options. However, antidrug ad advocates raise a number of concerns.

Over the years, drug advertisements...

About the Author

Jonathan Cohn is a senior national correspondent for The Huffington Post. He is also the author of Sick: The Untold Story of America’s Health Care Crisis – and the People Who Pay the Price.