Drug Ads Must be Watched

Robert Binstock

Attorney
(866) 735-1102 Ext 345

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There is currently tons of money being spent on pharmaceutical drugs and most of it seems to be unnecessary.

In 2000, pharmaceutical companies spent $2.5 billion on advertising, according to Mike Fillon in "Ephedra: Fact or Fiction." Dr. John Abramson, author of "Overdosed America," says that number increased to more than $3 billion in 2003. The FDA is said to not be able to protect consumers from drug companies. This has caused a significant amount of problems. The U.S. recently gave the FDA more power to deal with unsafe medicines on the market. The Revitalization Act was passed that gave the FDA the power to change drug labels and require post-market studies for drugs with safety problems.

One of the problems with the ads is that they interfere with the doctor patient relationship. This is another reason for the inability of the FDA to protect its consumers. The Kugel Mesh Patch is supposed to help people with severe hernia problems, but maybe this device and many other prescription drugs have to do with what are contributing to loss of lives. People must learn to be more careful and must consult doctors before making decisions without correct information.

For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Drugs, Medical Devices, and Implants.