‘HealthWeek’ Examines Consumer Ads for Prescription Drugs

Last week, PBS' "HealthWeek," produced in cooperation with the Kaiser Family Foundation, focused on the increasingly "aggressive" consumer advertisements for prescription drugs. Dr. Michael Wilkes, associate dean of medical education at the University of California-Davis, said that direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceuticals has harmed the patient-doctor relationship because many patients will decide that they want a certain drug before speaking with their physician. He said, "It's not uncommon for [patients] to actually reach into their pocket and take out the advertisement from their purse or their valise and say, 'Look at this, doctor. Take a look. I think that this is for me.'" Wilkes added that consumer ads are often "misleading" and "force him to waste valuable time explaining why an advertised drug may not be appropriate" for a certain patient, and he noted that some doctors simply "cave in to the pressure" and prescribe drugs that patients request. However, Alan Holmer, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said that consumer advertising is a good way to alert patients to new treatments that could benefit them. "The advertising really helps provide information to patients about new treatments, or sometimes even cures, that those patients often would not otherwise have known about. And that empowers those patients then to be able to have informed conversations with their doctors" ("HealthWeek," 10/26). A complete transcript of the show is available online.