Reader comments
Drug industry presses FDA to allow more online ads

I believe it is pathetic that companies can target social websites to fill them with advertising. It is also rediculous that we are constantly seeing law firm ads against recent drugs after being released with FDA approval, while foreign drugs with no approval are said to have worked safely for several years. Is the FDA truly a viable organization?

It is all about money. Online Pharmacies sell generics that are not available in the US. The drug industry makes every effort to keep the patents alive and the generics unavailable to US sales. The rest of the article dealing with information available on the Internet is just the foot in the door. They want control and to maxiamize profits. If they can control what you read then expect more of the same. I don't really think they have interest in protecting the citizen. They will use that as a reason to shut it down and pre-digest everything you read.

Drug companines should not be allowed to advertise any individual drug at all. Look how many people have died and been inflicted with death and personal injury from their advertising.

Advertising has one goal, deceive and lie about its products. Drug company advertising barely meets the law in truth in advertising it products. The layman consumer is not well enough informed about drugs and its chemistry to make logical and sound choices. Not even most doctors are informed or knowledgeable enough about all drugs to make a choice, so how is the home viewer going to know? Drug advertising should be limited to the medical profession and its work place.

Then if they start advertising in the cyber world the disclaimers of effects can very easily be buried in a chain link of websites to hide it. As it is, the TV disclaimers are unreadable and too lengthy to even read them.

Sure, they do spend a lot of money advertising, but that cost is passed directly to the consumers at very high costs. Want to cut the cost of medicines? Cut and eliminate the cost of advertising passed on to consumers.