Doctors Intimidated By Patients' TV-Taught Medical Knowledge

By Sam Bakken in News on Jun 20, 2005 10:15PM

The American Medical Association, holding its annual House of Delegates meeting in Chicago this week, is reviewing a proposal asking that they persuade the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to delay "direct-to-consumer" drug advertising for a period of time after a drug is initially approved. The delay would allow doctors to discuss a drug's safety and efficacy with their patients before ads hit the market.

The proposal mentions concerns about the effect the advertising has on the doctor-patient relationship, the greater increase in the cost of drugs compared to other healthcare costs and pharmaceutical companies spending twice as much money on marketing ($25 billion in 2003) and administration as they do on research and development.

An ophthalmologist from Iowa that supports the limit on advertising told the Tribune, "Patients are asking for things they don't need." Mmmkay, but you're a doctor right? And when a patient asks for something they don't need you explain that you went through years of medical school and have experience in the field and in your expert opinion the medication isn't appropriate, right?

Sounds to us like a possible solution to rising drug costs. And drug advertising does seem a bit out of hand. But, as opponents of the ban have mentioned, commercial speech is protected by the first amendment. At the same time, the delay could allow doctors time to research a drug and prevent another VIOXX debacle.