AMA Calls For Ban On Direct-To-Consumer Advertising of Prescription Drugs

As a kid who grew up in the 50's I never once saw ads on our black and white TV asking people to ask their doctor" if maybe this drug or medical device is right for me...etc."

Pharmaceutical companies own a hugh percentage of the networks so they can push their drugs direct to the consumer in ads uninhibited.

My wife and I get a kick over the side effects they tell us about. 

Why would anyone want to take something that might make you blind, dizzy, confused, break out in a rash, or dead etc?

The Associated Press reports that the American Medical Association has called for a ban on direct-to-consumer ads for prescription drugs and implantable medical devices, saying they contribute to rising costs and patients' demands for inappropriate treatment.

 According to data cited in an AMA news release, ad dollars spent by drugmakers have risen to $4.5 billion in the last two years, a 30 percent increase.

 Physicians cited concerns that a growing proliferation of ads is driving demand for expensive treatments despite the clinical effectiveness of less costly alternatives.

 "Today's vote in support of an advertising ban reflects concerns among physicians about the negative

impact of commercially-driven promotions, and the role that marketing costs play in fueling escalating drug prices," said the AMA's Patrice A. Harris. 

"Direct-to-consumer advertising also inflates demand for new and more expensive drugs, even when these drugs may not be appropriate."

The AMA also calls for convening a physician task force and launching an advocacy campaign to promote prescription drug affordability by demanding choice and competition in the pharmaceutical industry, and greater transparency in prescription drug prices and costs.

 Last month, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report saying that a high cost of prescription drugs remains the

public's top health care priority. In the past few years, prices on generic and brand-name prescription drugs have steadily risen and experienced a 4.7 percent spike in 2015, according to the Altarum Institute Center for Sustainable Health Spending.