Those Annoying Ads For Big Pharma

Fun fact of the day: only the United States and New Zealand allow direct-to-consumer drug advertisements.

You know those ads, two people in a bathtub viewing a sunset. A guy throwing a football through a tire swing. What about restless leg syndrome?

Here is some good news:

Representative Jerrold Nadler, Democrat of New York, has introduced a bill called the Say No to Drug Ads Act. It would amend the federal tax code to prevent pharmaceutical companies from deducting the cost of direct-to-consumer drug advertisements as a business expense.

“You should not be going to a doctor saying, ‘I have restless leg syndrome’ — whatever the hell that is — or going to a doctor saying, ‘I have the mumps,’ ” Mr. Nadler said in an interview. “You should not be diagnosed by some pitchman on TV who doesn’t know you whatsoever.”

It was never like that 10 years ago. You never saw ads on TV for all these unpronounceable drugs. These ads drive the demand and push people to use drugs for ailments they might not otherwise care about. Pretty devious.

And you wonder why it is so hard to get health care reform.

Source: Digsby