5 reasons why you should not ask your doctor to prescribe medication you see on television
Prescription drug advertisements really work. Here's how they can go wrong.
When you browse the television channels, it is common to see direct advertisements for promising consumers a pharmaceutical relief of everything you are. However, some experts warn that it is best to be cautious before asking your doctor to prescribe drugs You saw on television.
"While yes, it is normal to ask your doctor a specific medication, it is better to tell your doctor what you live and allow them to ask follow -up questions," family doctor certified by the board of directors Laura Purdy , Md, tells Better life . "So your doctor can decide what is good for you. Advertisements cannot really tell the whole story."
Although advertising does not intrinsically make a drug unsuitable for use, asking your doctor an announced medication could do more harm than good, for several reasons. Read more to find out why you may want to hang on to ask your doctor to prescribe a medication you've seen on a television ad.
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1 Few of them are considered high -level therapies, according to a new study.
The pharmaceutical industry spent $ 6.88 billion On direct pharmaceutical advertisements to consumers in 2021, according to the market site and the Data site of Consumer Statita. However, experts warn that most of their budgets are not necessarily spent for the most efficient drugs.
In fact, a January 2023 study published in the journal Jama Network Open found this Just 27% Drugs commonly announced in the United States are considered very well rated front line therapies. Meanwhile, during the six -year study period, pharmaceutical companies have spent $ 16 billion to announce medicines that have been classified as "low advantage" on the basis of regulatory journals for three different health agencies , wrote the authors of the study.
"Supporters of direct pharmaceutical advertising to consumers often argue that these announcements have high public health value by encouraging the adoption of the most beneficial therapy" "therapies" " Neeraj Patel , the main study of the study and a medical student at the Yale School of Medicine, recently said US News & World Report . "Our study reject this argument . ""
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2 You can unduly influence your doctor's opinion.
Research shows that by mentioning or asking for drugs you have seen on television, patients often influence their doctor's decision to prescribe. A 2014 study published in the journal Medical care analysis Doctoral interactions-pasta Regarding two special drugs: oxycodone as a treatment of sciatica and celebrex for knee osteoarthritis. No request. "
The authors of the study argued that this could influence doctors in a way that does not benefit their patients. "The decisions concerning the opportunity to prescribe a drug and which medication to prescribe, have been traditionally taken by doctors, patients assuming a more passive role," they said, adding that this is no longer considered standard. "Patients are [now] more likely to reach a clinical meeting with a therapeutic plan already desired in mind, as a prescription for a specific agent," they wrote. "Despite the doubts, many doctors accelerate a patient's demand for drugs."
3 Drug announcements can be "misleading", according to some experts.
Impregnating your doctor's desire to prescribe a particular medication can be particularly problematic because the announcements of drugs are poorly regulated, warns a patel. "The FDA does not revise and does not approve of all the advertisements before they moved News U.S. . Patel added that "this type of advertising can be misleading, lead to an inappropriate prescription and inflate the costs of health care".
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4 The drugs announced are generally more expensive than generics.
By asking for drugs you have seen on television by name, you can also waste your hard earned money. This is because when you do, you are more likely to receive the brand medication you mentioned rather than General medicine It is just as effective and much lower than costs.
According to the FDA, Generic drugs are bioequivalents to their brand counterparts. This means that they are "created to be the same as a brand name of brand name already marketed in the form of dosage, safety, strength, administration route, quality, performance characteristics and planned use ". They point out that "generic medicine works in the same way and offers the same clinical advantage as brand medicine".
5 You might be less likely to follow your treatment plan.
When you ask your doctor to prescribe medication you have seen on television, you may actually be less likely to Follow the treatment plan , warned Abby Alpert , PHD, professor of health care management at Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. "Although advertising increases drugs in existing patients, we also note that among people who launch treatment due to advertising, their compliance with treatment is in fact lower on average, she declared to the business journal Knowledge in Wharton .
This is a concern, especially if it reflects that "advertising captures people for whom the treatment is slightly less suitable or for people who are simply less attached to treatment," said Alpert. "The launch of a treatment without complying with this will increase in drug spending without many health gains."
Best Life offers the most up -to -date information for high -level experts, new research and health agencies, but our content is not supposed to replace professional advice. Regarding the medication you take or any other health issue you have, always consult your health care provider directly.
