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Post by Lexica on Mar 18, 2023 20:44:33 GMT
I am so sick of all the medication commercials that keep repeating and repeating and repeating on everything I watch. Right now it is Tremfya. It seems to come on 983 times a day. When a commercial plays that often, it makes me hate their product and immediately mute the commercial or leave the channel. Once per program is more than enough.
Anyway, I personally would never ask my doctor about some medication that I saw advertised in a commercial. I figure she has spent years and years in medical school and would have brands that she is familiar with that she prefers to prescribe. And since she knows all of the medications that I am currently on, she would also know that whatever she is prescribing is safe to take with my other medications. To me, it would be insulting for me to suggest a medication to her. And I hate these companies shoving them in my face while I’m in my own home. Have your pharmacy reps meet with my doctors. Give her the literature or samples or whatever it is that drug companies used to do to get their product out there. Don’t try to get me to ask for it.
Have you ever gone to your doctor to ask for a medication that you saw in some commercial? And if you have, how did the doctor feel about you doing this?
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Post by cadoodlebug on Mar 18, 2023 20:52:32 GMT
Never. I once asked, out of curiosity more than anything, about a supplement that a LOT of people were touting on social media and he warned me not to take it.
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Post by freecharlie on Mar 18, 2023 21:04:59 GMT
I might ask my doctor about the one for eyes and thyroid.
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wellway
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Post by wellway on Mar 18, 2023 21:07:54 GMT
We (UK) only gets ads about over the counter meds like cough and cold medication, hayfever etc. Anything that needs a prescription can't be advertised.
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milocat
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Post by milocat on Mar 18, 2023 21:19:25 GMT
All those commercials seem to say are "ask your doctor if xyz is right for you" and lots of vague references to living your best life. I can't imagine just blindly ask my doctor if a drug was right for me without know what condition it's supposed to help.
I only see prescription medication ads on the US channels, not the Canadian ones.
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Post by littlemama on Mar 18, 2023 21:20:52 GMT
Maybe if the drug companies didnt spend so much on advertising, they could make medication more affordable.
I had a Dr tell me once that people will come in demanding those meds, whether they are right for them or not, whether there is a cheaper or better option or not.
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Post by tmarschall on Mar 18, 2023 21:37:02 GMT
I have asked my doctor about medicines I have seen advertised, but I've also researched them myself, looking at medical journals discussing new developments in treatment, studies, etc. I have a couple of conditions that are hard to treat. I know my doctor won't be offended, and also would not prescribe something she didn't feel comfortable with. I have asked about (not for) something and she has consulted with a colleague to make a decision, and sometimes she has referred me to a specialist if she wasn't comfortable with it herself. She is not God; we are partners in my healthcare. I'm not afraid to ask questions respectfully, and she shouldn't be threatened or offended.
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Post by Lexica on Mar 18, 2023 21:52:42 GMT
We (UK) only gets ads about over the counter meds like cough and cold medication, hayfever etc. Anything that needs a prescription can't be advertised. I think it used to be that way here in the states also. I wish it would be again. I have noticed that some of the ads don’t even seem to mention what their pill is supposed to be treating. They just imply that everything wrong in your life will be magically better if you just take their pill. |
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Post by Zee on Mar 18, 2023 21:53:00 GMT
I think they're doing a better job telling you what it's for so you know whether it might even apply to you.
Yes, if I had a condition that I thought might benefit from something new, I would go ahead and ask. Why wouldn't you? It never hurts to ask and get more info from your doctor. If you read about a new surgical technique you might ask about that too, to see if you might benefit.
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Post by Lexica on Mar 18, 2023 22:03:44 GMT
I have asked my doctor about medicines I have seen advertised, but I've also researched them myself, looking at medical journals discussing new developments in treatment, studies, etc. I have a couple of conditions that are hard to treat. I know my doctor won't be offended, and also would not prescribe something she didn't feel comfortable with. I have asked about (not for) something and she has consulted with a colleague to make a decision, and sometimes she has referred me to a specialist if she wasn't comfortable with it herself. She is not God; we are partners in my healthcare. I'm not afraid to ask questions respectfully, and she shouldn't be threatened or offended. Okay, you bring up some good points. Asking about a medication after you have read up on it yourself versus just blindly asking to be prescribed something you saw on TV is very different. I guess I just trust that my doctor will know if there is something new that is actually working for people and if and when she decides it would work for me, she will be the one to bring it up to me at my next appointment. I would have no problem asking if there have been any updates in treatment for something I am dealing with. But I would would still feel odd to ask if something I saw advertised would work for me. I know if I am getting bombarded with the ads, she is too, so if she feels the product is credible, then she can recommend it. |
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leeny
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Post by leeny on Mar 18, 2023 22:10:09 GMT
My doctor and I were joking about this because I asked about Ozempic for my Diabetes Type 2. She asked if I saw the ad on TV, which I had but actually it's because my sister was taking it.
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Post by busy on Mar 18, 2023 22:17:48 GMT
I guess I just trust that my doctor will know if there is something new that is actually working for people It's impossible for an individual physician to keep up on everything, especially if you're talking about a GP/internal medicine kind of physician. Doctors don't know everything and they aren't infallible. If I've learned anything about medical care in the past several years that my stepfather has been dealing with some serious chronic illnesses, it's that we need to advocate for ourselves and cannot rely on doctors to come up with every possible idea If you sit back and are a passive recipient of care, the chances that you are getting the best possible outcome is diminished. So yeah, if I or a loved one had a condition that could respond to an advertised medicine and the current treatment wasn't completely satisfactory, I'd definitely ask about what I saw a commercial for. It's up to the doctor to determine if it's right for the situation and whether or not to prescribe. But if they're offended by someone asking questions of any kind, that's a huge red flag IMO. |
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Post by monklady123 on Mar 18, 2023 22:28:52 GMT
Nope. And I agree with you about how annoying these commercials are. And the other thing that's pretty funny about these medication commercials is that they always say "Don't take xxx if you're allergic to it or any of its ingredients." um... no kidding.  It's a silly statement because if you *already* know you're allergic then of course you're not taking it. And if you don't know if you're allergic then you might just take it. And, if you do have allergies then most likely you don't just randomly take stuff without first finding out what's in it. It's like the statement on the peanut butter jar: "Contains peanuts." lol |
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Post by dewryce on Mar 18, 2023 23:05:25 GMT
I’m very involved in my medical care, so if I saw a new type of drug that treats a condition I have I’d be interested in learning more about it. So I’d do my own research and come armed with questions. Just because I am currently on a drug doesn’t mean a new one hasn’t been developed that would work better in my circumstances. Doesn’t hurt to ask. Better to k ow why (or why NOT) a drug might work for me. Who knows, perhaps it would help me avoid some side effects I’m currently having.
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cakediva
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Post by cakediva on Mar 18, 2023 23:51:48 GMT
I think they're doing a better job telling you what it's for so you know whether it might even apply to you. Yes, if I had a condition that I thought might benefit from something new, I would go ahead and ask. Why wouldn't you? It never hurts to ask and get more info from your doctor. If you read about a new surgical technique you might ask about that too, to see if you might benefit. Except they don’t….the ones I keep seeing (ozempic comes to mind) it’s all “what’s ozempic” next person on the street “my friend takes ozempic” next person “what’s ozempic” and then when somebody goes to answer they cut them off right after “it’s for” the it’s “ask your doctor if it’s for you” But I don’t know what it is for! So why would I ask my doctor about it? |
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Post by Zee on Mar 19, 2023 0:03:57 GMT
I think they're doing a better job telling you what it's for so you know whether it might even apply to you. Yes, if I had a condition that I thought might benefit from something new, I would go ahead and ask. Why wouldn't you? It never hurts to ask and get more info from your doctor. If you read about a new surgical technique you might ask about that too, to see if you might benefit. Except they don’t….the ones I keep seeing (ozempic comes to mind) it’s all “what’s ozempic” next person on the street “my friend takes ozempic” next person “what’s ozempic” and then when somebody goes to answer they cut them off right after “it’s for” the it’s “ask your doctor if it’s for you” But I don’t know what it is for! So why would I ask my doctor about it? Like I said, they're getting better about it. And the Ozempic commercial specifically says it's for people with Type II diabetes to lower their blood sugar, taken once weekly. It's on you tube (I think because people wanted to know what the song was) and the commercial is from 2019 and states that information. Obviously, if it doesn't say, then you wouldn't really ask, would you? I wasn't disagreeing with that part. |
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Post by busy on Mar 19, 2023 0:42:48 GMT
I think they're doing a better job telling you what it's for so you know whether it might even apply to you. Yes, if I had a condition that I thought might benefit from something new, I would go ahead and ask. Why wouldn't you? It never hurts to ask and get more info from your doctor. If you read about a new surgical technique you might ask about that too, to see if you might benefit. Except they don’t….the ones I keep seeing (ozempic comes to mind) it’s all “what’s ozempic” next person on the street “my friend takes ozempic” next person “what’s ozempic” and then when somebody goes to answer they cut them off right after “it’s for” the it’s “ask your doctor if it’s for you” But I don’t know what it is for! So why would I ask my doctor about it? Ozempic ads very clearly say what it’s for |
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Post by craftedbys on Mar 19, 2023 0:52:23 GMT
From the list of side effects that they rattle off I usually think I would rather just live with whatever the medicine is supposed to cure.
"Take xyz to help heal your ingrown toenail. May cause sneezing, sore throat, itchy scalp, kidney stones or rectal bleeding"
"Don't take if you are allergic to xyz or any of its ingredients"
How do i know if i am allergic to xyz? You going to list those ingredients so I can see if I am allergic?
I just read that Ozempic (sp?) is starting to have shortages because doctors are prescribing it as a weightloss drug even without a dx of diabetes.
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Post by Linda on Mar 19, 2023 1:39:34 GMT
Not from an advertisement but I did ask my doctor about a new medication that was suggested to me by my diabetes coach - and it's turned out to be a good option for me.
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Post by iamkristinl16 on Mar 19, 2023 1:51:59 GMT
I haven’t, but I also don’t have any chronic conditions that require medications.
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garcia5050
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Post by garcia5050 on Mar 19, 2023 2:03:41 GMT
In my 20’s, I asked my doctor about the new nasal sprays for migraines that I had just seen on TV. I just had my first three-day migraine and l didn’t want to go through that again.
When I asked about the spray, the doctor said that’s not how it works. First, you have to go through the progression of approved treatments. That maybe once we went through the standard ten things, if none of those worked, maybe I would be covered for the spray.
I never asked again.
But I did start with the first approved treatment, which was beta blockers. It didn’t help while I was taking it, but it helped once I stopped taking them. It was odd.
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Post by nightnurse on Mar 19, 2023 2:37:54 GMT
I don’t mind patients asking about a drug they saw on tv but it boggles my mind that so many adults don’t understand the purpose of a commercial. It’s to sell a product. Not educate, not show the best drug for a person , but to get more people to buy the new expensive name brand drug they can charge more for. Sure, sometimes we see a product on a commercial and think “ooh that’d be great for me (still using the chef tony knives I bought off an infomercial 20 years ago, prefer them to my fancy henkel’s) And sometimes it is. But a lot of times it isn’t (looking at you, Ron popeil’s rotisserie cooker). And it can be very frustrating when a person wants what they saw on tv and only what they saw on tv. I am not a prescription vending machine, can’t hit A2 and I’ll spit out an antibiotic, or c3 for a narcotic. The times I’ve had unsatisfied patients have usually been related to me not ordering a test or a med they felt they needed (had a woman scream at me that if I were competent, I would order the test to rule out a TIA. I wouldn’t order it. Mostly because it hasn’t been invented yet). Every time I see the tiktoks where people are like “if your doctor won’t order a test, make them write in your chart that they refused” if the test exists and you want it and it’s safe, I’ll order it but be advised your insurance company may not cover it. So many people say “I don’t care I want the test” then call to complain when they have to pay for it. I wish your insurance paid for all the tests you want. I wish prior authorizations were not a thing. I wish healthcare didn’t suck so bad. And I wish drugs weren’t advertised directly to consumers.
(Sorry, rant over!)
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scrappinwithoutpeas
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Post by scrappinwithoutpeas on Mar 19, 2023 3:02:00 GMT
I don’t mind patients asking about a drug they saw on tv but it boggles my mind that so many adults don’t understand the purpose of a commercial. It’s to sell a product. Not educate, not show the best drug for a person , but to get more people to buy the new expensive name brand drug they can charge more for. Sure, sometimes we see a product on a commercial and think “ooh that’d be great for me (still using the chef tony knives I bought off an infomercial 20 years ago, prefer them to my fancy henkel’s) And sometimes it is. But a lot of times it isn’t (looking at you, Ron popeil’s rotisserie cooker). And it can be very frustrating when a person wants what they saw on tv and only what they saw on tv. I am not a prescription vending machine, can’t hit A2 and I’ll spit out an antibiotic, or c3 for a narcotic. The times I’ve had unsatisfied patients have usually been related to me not ordering a test or a med they felt they needed (had a woman scream at me that if I were competent, I would order the test to rule out a TIA. I wouldn’t order it. Mostly because it hasn’t been invented yet). Every time I see the tiktoks where people are like “if your doctor won’t order a test, make them write in your chart that they refused” if the test exists and you want it and it’s safe, I’ll order it but be advised your insurance company may not cover it. So many people say “I don’t care I want the test” then call to complain when they have to pay for it. I wish your insurance paid for all the tests you want. I wish prior authorizations were not a thing. I wish healthcare didn’t suck so bad. And I wish drugs weren’t advertised directly to consumers.
(Sorry, rant over!) This - so much this! Especially the parts in bold. Rant away, I'll jump on that train! Earlier in my career, I was a software developer for an online pharmacy company and was still working there when the law changed to allow direct-to-consumer advertising for RX drugs. (Yeah, I'm old, LOL.) SO much angst (and anger) from me and all of my colleagues when it came down because we could all see where it would lead, and yeah, here we are. I hate it!!! The company where I worked was eventually sold to a much larger online pharmacy* and I left to a take a new job elsewhere, but I still really hate the prescription drug ads and always will. I think it's altogether wrong that they're even allowed. *Ironically, the large online pharmacy that took over is the one used by my insurance company to send me my prescription meds. |
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pridemom
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Post by pridemom on Mar 19, 2023 3:13:50 GMT
Having lived with an autoimmune disease that can be difficult to treat, I am very much a proponent of shared decision making for treatments. I don’t agree with the ability for pharmaceutical companies to advertise, because it just increases their profits and lord knows they charge too much for the drugs. but it does give patients some knowledge about treatment options if their treatments aren’t working for them. If a treatment isn’t right for a patient given their case, the provider can explain their reasons and it opens dialogue.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Mar 19, 2023 3:36:37 GMT
I just wanted to say that this thread reminds me of DOPESICK. Has anyone watched this? It’s about the opioid crisis and how the drug company Purdue Pharma misrepresented OxyContin to doctors and the public. If the 20 pill won’t work try the 40. If the 40 won’t work try the 60 and so on. It was a really interesting series. Here we watched it on Disney plus but that is in Canada.
Yes, I might ask about something I heard about through a friend. I might ask about something I saw on tv. But I wouldn’t trust a friend or a tv advertisement over my own doctor. I don’t think there is anything wrong with asking though.
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Post by KiwiJo on Mar 19, 2023 8:20:47 GMT
Fun fact ….. USA and New Zealand are the only countries where it is legal to advertise prescription medications direct to customers.
Actually, it’s not such a fun fact is it? It’s bloody ridiculous that it’s legal anywhere.
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Post by littlemama on Mar 19, 2023 12:29:23 GMT
From the list of side effects that they rattle off I usually think I would rather just live with whatever the medicine is supposed to cure. "Take xyz to help heal your ingrown toenail. May cause sneezing, sore throat, itchy scalp, kidney stones or rectal bleeding" "Don't take if you are allergic to xyz or any of its ingredients" How do i know if i am allergic to xyz? You going to list those ingredients so I can see if I am allergic? I just read that Ozempic (sp?) is starting to have shortages because doctors are prescribing it as a weightloss drug even without a dx of diabetes. The "side effects" they are required to disclose are ANYTHING that happened to anyone on the drug trial amd are not typically indicative of true side effects |
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Post by katlaw on Mar 19, 2023 15:38:59 GMT
We are Canadian and we just got back from a vacation in CA and that is exactly what I asked my husband. Do people really ask their doctor about meds they see advertised on TV? Watching TV in the U.S. is a minefield of commercials advertising medications to ask your doctor about and ads for divorce attorneys and injury lawyers.
In Canada advertising any prescription drugs to the general public for the treatment, prevention or cure of certain serious diseases is prohibited.
If I lived in the U.S. I would only watch Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, etc. Nothing with ads.
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milocat
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Post by milocat on Mar 19, 2023 15:45:18 GMT
From the list of side effects that they rattle off I usually think I would rather just live with whatever the medicine is supposed to cure. "Take xyz to help heal your ingrown toenail. May cause sneezing, sore throat, itchy scalp, kidney stones or rectal bleeding" "Don't take if you are allergic to xyz or any of its ingredients" How do i know if i am allergic to xyz? You going to list those ingredients so I can see if I am allergic? I just read that Ozempic (sp?) is starting to have shortages because doctors are prescribing it as a weightloss drug even without a dx of diabetes. Everything has those warnings. Tylenol causes kidney problems but people pop them like tic tacs and can also have: red, peeling or blistering skin, rash, hives, itching, swelling of the face, throat, tongue, lips, eyes, hands, feet, ankles, or lower legs, hoarseness, difficulty breathing or swallowing. |
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scrapngranny
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Post by scrapngranny on Mar 19, 2023 18:22:28 GMT
I would never ask my doctor about a medication. I hate those commercials for the same reason. Big Pharma is so sketchy and dirty it makes me sick. What they leave out of those ads is the cost of those new super wonder drugs that insurance doesn’t pay.
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It's a silly statement because if you *already* know you're allergic then of course you're not taking it. And if you don't know if you're allergic then you might just take it. And, if you do have allergies then most likely you don't just randomly take stuff without first finding out what's in it.
