Let’s Talk About Marketing in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Compared to the rest of the world, the US has very lax laws surrounding the advertisement of prescription drugs to consumers. Currently, the only countries permitting direct-to-consumer prescription drug ads are the US and New Zealand. The US accounts of “42% of global prescription drug spending,” despite only being 5% of the world’s population. These direct-to-consumer laws are still in effect despite the World Health Organization stating that “advertisements to the general public should…not generally be permitted for prescription drugs” in 2000 and unanimously recommending the prohibition of direct-to-consumer marketing in 2007.
I personally find it extremely problematic that there are so many ads for prescription drugs on TV today. Sure, they all must list the possible side-affects, but these are often very quickly glossed over and written in fine print at the bottom of the screen. The fact of the matter is that consumers don’t understand these drugs the way that medical professionals do, yet people will still go to their doctors and insist on trying some drug they saw an ad for on TV. Being shown inspirational imagery of happy healthy actors in an effort to sell possibly dangerous medications seems on par with advertising cigarettes in my opinion, yet advertising tobacco has been banned since 1971.
The proliferation of the internet and social media is only going to further these issues. The other day, I got an ad on my Instagram from a company called Hers. It was a very cute aesthetically pleasing image of pills, similar to the way supplements and gummy vitamins are advertised.
The copy said “Nervous about your big date? Propanalol can help stop your shaky voice, sweating and racing heart beat. No in-person doctor visits, just an online consultation and delivery can be right to the door.” Propanalol is a beta-blocker used to treat high blood pressure and is occasionally prescribed to treat anxiety. According to Rx List, it “works by blocking the action of certain natural chemicals in your body that affect the heart and blood vessels. This effect reduces heart rate, blood pressure, and strain on the heart.” It’s a very serious medication that comes with some serious side-effects, from low blood sugar and depression, to congestive heart failure. Someone who is a little nervous about a first date almost definitely does not need something so strong.
Luckily, there’s a huge population on Instagram making sure that Hers First knows how problematic this kind of messaging is, taking to the comments section of their post to make their points. The company has since issued an apology, putting the entire blame on an issue with their copy. However, they’re still selling this product as part of their wellness brand and only slightly edited their copy to “feeling anxious is *the worst* – but you don’t have to struggle in silence. Meet Propanalol, a beta-blocker that can help control the physical symptoms of performance anxiety.” Many people still don’t know what beta-blockers are and unlike TV commercials, this post doesn’t list any side-effects.
Is this the future of pharmaceutical advertising? I hope the FDA steps in and heavily regulates these kinds of ads ASAP. It should be up to doctors to know what the right medication is, not up to a consumer to decide they want to try some trendy drug that they saw in an ad. There needs to be more accountability in this industry, especially after Purdue Pharma just settled a $270 Million settlement over the opioid epidemic – more on that another time.
Cover image via Medical Daily