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Deinos
I would go so far as to say that ads for prescription drugs should be prohibited, as they are not sold directly to the market they are targeting.
matt_the_bass
That’s an excellent point I hadn’t thought of before. On the other hand, if a consumer knows about a drug that the dr doesn’t offer but they think they should have, that could be valuable too.
maxxxxx
Advertising pharmaceutical drugs is illegal in most parts of the world probably for good reason.
ddingus
Used to be here too. For same good reasons.
Deinos
True, but that type of decision requires a level of expertise that most consumers do not have . . . and those consumers that do, will have done the research to obtain the requisite information on their own. That data will be far more useful in coming up with a treatment plan with their physician.
matt_the_bass
Agreed, but the consumer who does the research, does need to find out what options are available. Does that mean advertising on TV is not allowed but advertising on the internet is? I don’t have an answer but it’s an interesting question and probably one component of the reason why our drug and medical system is broken in the US.
matt_the_bass
At first glance, this sounds like a positive thing to me. However I disagree with most of the administrations actions. So I’m wondering what’s the catch? Can anyone share some pros and cons with me?
maxxxxx
I disagree with a lot of their actions but in this case I can't see a con.
pssflops
This could arguably be a good thing. Announcing drug prices would force people to pay closer attention to the typically crappy coverage by their insurance companies - where a generic alternative somehow costs more for the consumer than brand-name...
ddingus
I am in favor of doing this. Great health care reform wake up call.