Say Goodbye to Those Absurd Side-Effects Readouts in Drug Commercials. The FDA finalized a rule that will require a drug’s side effects to be "presented in a clear, conspicuous, and neutral manner.”

if you didn't say NZ I literally would never have guessed. That's an actual shock.

Canada has drug ads, but with special rules. You can either mention the drug name or its indication, but not both.

So you'll get ads that say stuff like "Ozempic - ask your doctor if it's right for you" with people happily eating in a coffeeshop. But they won't tell you what Ozempic is supposed to do.

Akshully according to the article it's only legal in 2 MAJOR countries. I'm curious to know which minor countries it's legal in.

Doc, I think I have moderate-to-severe ulcerative colitis, menopause, and erectile dysfunction.

I know a few doctors, and they all hate drug commercials (as well as webMD) because patients come in with their self-diagnosis trying to order drugs like it’s a friggin restaurant. One of them told me that even when she clearly informs them that’s not how this works, they regularly get pissed off as she continues to tell them no and doesn’t budge. She also said she knows other less stubborn or principled doctors that give into the pressure, which is exactly how big pharmaceutical companies like it.

It's obviously working. These companies aren't spending millions of $ on advertising just to have 0 ROI.

I think you're probably right here, but just want to say that I've personally I've worked in multiple companies where they've spent millions on different things with no ROI. So it definitely happens. Sometimes leaders just like an idea and want to spend money on it.

"hmmm have you considered that chronic pain isn't real and you're lying? Don't worry, I'm still going to bill your insurance for the full price of an office visit."

This is true for a lot of other cases too. People live with chronic conditions because they either don't know that it's an issue and there's treatment, or they sought treatment and there wasn't any help at the time, and since then there have been new drugs release

Then the drive should be to fix that problem rather than the symptom.

we see ads for broad categories of food, like cheese, beef, and milk, for some reason.

What TV channels are you watching?

Then you have to spend years trying to convince your doctor that it's not because you're overweight or just imagining it.

Kickback thing is kinda a reason to keep the ads tbh... Plenty of docs will 100% insist that the best med for something is whatever brand is plastered all over their calendar, calculator, desk toys, office decorations, etc...

Having ads kinda gives people options their doc wont mention because kickbacks.

for real. like half the commercials are for pharmaceuticals.

derp, it was right there on the bottom, thanks