I think we can get a broad consensus on the question of whether or not there are a number of things that are unnecessary or just downright stupid that go on in this country and that ought to be changed, fixed, altered or otherwise done away with.  In fact, I'd say most, if not all, Americans would agree there are numerous such things.  But for some reason, these crazy, stupid, pointless, unproductive things are allowed to continue.  This post is intended as the first in an ongoing series of posts designed to focus on matters where we ought to be able to do something right now that would remedy the situation, improve our country and our lives.  Hopefully, the series will, at minimum, provide some real food for thought, if not inspire people to try and actually do something about some of these things.

For the inaugural post I have chosen the weird, relatively recently introduced, and IMHO insane practice of advertising prescription drugs to the general public.  You know, pushing drugs on people whether or not they need them... for the sake of profit. 

None of us can escape advertising in this country of ours, but one of the most pernicious forms of it (if not the most pernicious) has only sprung up in recent years and is increasing exponentially as the unrestrained greed of the drug companies becomes more and more manic and the fight for market share becomes more and more difficult and savage.  Everyone who has been awake in the past decade knows what I'm talking about here.  Everyone I have ever spoken to considers these ads, as I do, unnecessary, strange, often offensive, almost always absurd, and sometimes outrageous.  The comical effect of the disclaimers at the end of the ads only demonstrates how utterly moronic this practice truly is.

For those not paying close attention or who never watch television or listen to the radio, it used to be that prescription drugs were never advertised to the general public.  Prescription drugs were marketed to physicians so they would be aware of the latest advancements, etc...  This still goes on and is a realm filled with ethical potholes and danger but that is not our topic.  Somewhere along the way, and of course in pursuit of the ultimate holy of holies---greater profit, it was decided to let drug companies start advertising prescription drugs to the public just like any other product.  I'm not ancient, but neither am I spring chicken (apologies to Bwak), but when I was growing up the most annoying/problematic "drug" advertising were the commercials for over the counter laxatives or "feminine" products that seemed always to be on right at dinnertime.  Things have changed considerably in the past 10 years or so. 

Now, we have ads for prescription drugs for every possible malady from Alzheimer's disease, to high cholesterol, to the ubiquitous, infamous and feared.... (cue scary music)  "ED".  In short, prescription drug advertising, used as simply yet another outlet for the ends of capitalist profit worship is totally out of hand and needs to be put to a stop.

Let's be clear and not fool anyone including ourselves about this.  The sole purpose of these ads is to create markets where none previously existed or to exploit a previously untapped or undersold market to the fullest.  This is done for one reason and one reason only and that is to boost drug company profits.  None of these ads, that's correct not a single one of these ads, has anything to do with benefiting the people these drugs are being marketed to.  If the drugs happen to benefit some people that's fine with the drug boys but it isn't the point by any means. 

A brief review of what exactly is going on here.  The drug companies, in order to boost sales, are now marketing their products not to doctors who know something about what is going on in terms of the diseases in question and the potential remedies, but to the general public---people who clearly do not know what is going on, who are vulnerable to the hard sell, soft sell,  and the fears and insecurities that the ads deliberately plant in their minds.  And this without even mentioning the false hope that some of these ads are clearly peddling particularly with the Alzheimer's drugs.  It's enough to make a body sick!

As noted above, all the usual marketing techniques are being used to boost sales: appeals to vanity, fear, ego, etc...  The drug companies are spending billions, in effect, to convince Americans that they need drugs they probably don't need and then to hound and harass their doctors into prescribing  these drugs for them.  This is no different than the tried and true techniques used for decades to convince children to hound their parents for crappy, sugary treats and cereals, for games that look great in commercials but suck when you bring them home, for the most expensive clothes, for the most unhealthy bread, and on and on and on.  I assume everyone reading this knows precisely the cause and effect relationship between advertising a given product/concept and the stimulating effect on demand for said product that occurs whether or not any real demand, in fact, exists at all.  It is well known that Americans are constantly convinced to consume products of all kinds they neither want nor really need.  This is why we are a nation of enormously fat people now and why we are a nation of a million bad habits instigated and sustained by advertising.  Well this is one area where there's simply no good reason, nor is their any benefit  for the ads and where there is every reason to do away with them. 

In this day and age with the health care system as exorbitantly expensive as it is, it seems to me inexcusable that this amazing waste of literally billions of dollars every year is allowed to continue.  Included in the already unjustifiably expensive prices Americans pay for prescription drugs, we also have to pay for the billions in costs it takes to constantly hawk these drugs on TV and radio and in print nationwide.  In short, it is a practice with no benefits for the public which is little more than an extraordinarily useless and expensive outrage.

Think of the billions in savings if such ads are banned right away.  Think of how the lives of millions would be improved never having to endure another advertisement for Cialis or Viagra or Spiriva (sounds like a disease itself) or Caduet or any of the other drugs we, as the public, don't need to be told about and don't need to be convinced to ask our doctor about.  And let me take a moment here to zero in on how offensive I (and everyone I've ever spoken to about it) find the "ED" drug commercials.  Ya know what, if ya can't get it up I feel for ya, but I really don't want to hear about it okay?  I just don't.  It is patently offensive to be pushing that on citizens and their families at all hours of the day and night and there's simply no excuse for such garbage to be advertised constantly.  I have this sneaking suspicion that none of those "ED" drugs would have any problems at all getting known or finding a market if the entire population wasn't constantly barraged with ads for them everywhere we go on TV, radio and in print.  Not only is it offensive and unnecessary but it also becomes an issue in families with kids because kids are curious.  I have no interest explaining to a child just what "ED" is, how or why or to whom it occurs or what Cialis or one of its competitors can do for men who have this problem.   

In short, advertising prescription drug is completely unnecessary, a massive waste of billions of consumer's dollars, and should be banned immediately and forever.  Not one soul will miss it.  I dare say even the craven drug company people and PR types who cook the stuff up won't miss it.  They'll miss out on the money they get as a result of it, but I doubt any of them will go hungry when those ads disappear forever. 

It is shocking to me that none of the alleged health care reform bills before the Congress includes an iron clad, permanent ban on prescription drug advertising.  Personally, I suggest writing to the President and your members of Congress on this point.  It certainly can't hurt and just might end up saving us billions annually.  If it happens it would certainly improve our quality of life by sparing the entire American population from having to see those now satisfied couples in their separate bathtubs, ever again.  What is that bathtub thing about anyway?

It's my understanding that the only industrialized country in the world beside the USA that allows this sort of idiotic marketing is Australia.  What does that say about this practice eh?

The bottom line is this: banning the marketing of prescription drugs is something the Congress and President could easily accomplish and it ought to be done right now.