Consumer Services

Consumer Health: Buying into the Medical Hoopla

"There are some remedies worse than the disease." Those words spoken by Publilius Syrius, a Latin writer of maxims who flourished in the first century BC, still hold true today. The pharmaceutical industry is big business, generating billions of dollars in revenue annually. However, the industry's conduct in the marketplace may sometimes be questionable, and consumers should empower themselves with information to make potentially life-saving decisions.

One of the ways pharmaceutical companies make their generous profits is by reaching out directly to consumers in what's known as direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising. Consumers are inundated daily with promotions for newly released brand-name drugs via print, radio, TV and the Internet, that claim to cure all sorts of ills. While this may be true for some, results are not typical for everyone. Despite adverse side effects attributed to certain drugs, pharmaceutical companies invest in DTC advertising because it is highly profitable; and consumers sold on the ads' claims ask their doctors for prescriptions. A 2005 study by the World Bank reported that the pharmaceutical industry spent $4.86 billion on DTC advertising. Consumer Reports states that for each dollar spent on advertising, the pharmaceutical industry recoups $4.25 -- indeed, a good return on their investment. An additional $7 billion is spent pitching products to doctors and other professionals.

It is no wonder money spent on marketing drugs in the U.S. has led to an overall increase in drug costs for consumers. Currently, DTC ads are allowed only in the U.S. and New Zealand, which happens to be considering a ban. The U.S. government agency that regulates drug advertising, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), rarely approves ad copy before pharmaceuticals run it, creating an opportunity for product misrepresentation or inaccuracies.

Instead of buying into promotional gimmicks that can be costly and may even result in bodily harm, the Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department urges consumers to ask their doctor about alternative treatments or medicines, such as older, generic drugs that have proven as successful as brand-name products allege to be. Seek information from nonbiased sources, such as the Consumer Reports Consumer Drug Reference or the National Institutes of Health's Medline Plus (www.medlineplus.gov). Learn about drug interactions, side effects or warnings before taking medication -- even if it is an over-the-counter drug.

To learn about other consumer issues, visit the Miami-Dade Consumer Services Department website at www.miamidade.gov/csd or call the Consumer Mediation Center at 305-375-3677.

Back to Top Page Last Edited: Thu Jul 21, 2011 3:39:04 PM