about pharmaceuticals and their commercials
screed? . . . what is a screed?
I guess this newsletter has turned into a bit of a screed, complaining about things, pointing out how it should be better, yelling at people. Well here’s one more thing I’d like to get off my mind.
Have you ever noticed while watching TV all those prescription medicine commercials with the happy pleasant scenes? The family is having a picnic at the lake and the guy is stoutly rowing out into the lake in his boat, smiling and confident because he just took 20 mg of dihexadride altricide, or Performa, as it’s known on TV; the country lane in autumn with the lady walking along with her kids and her grandkids, everyone is harmonious and having adventures thanks to 60 mg of THJ thermonia hydride jessupius also known as Quietude (ask your doctor for it).
They’re all the same! That’s my point, even though I made up those scenes and those drugs, they’re all the same pleasant, happy, nice, well lit, friendly, accommodating little movies. I mean it’s like a genre almost.
Something’s up. That’s all I’ve got to say. If so many different pharmaceutical companies advertise their products all in exactly the same way, same style, same sneaky manipulation of our emotional mind - then something’s up. Know what I’m saying?
So what is it? And why do they suggest that we should talk to our doctor? Wouldn’t our doctor already know about this drug? I mean if he was a doctor and if the drug was any good? Yes. He would know, he’s supposed to know these things because he (or she) is a doctor.
And then we watch the pleasant little movie play out as all the contradictions scroll down the screen: you may become delirious, you may doubt your own existence, your left foot may fall off - all the contraindications scroll off the screen while the pleasant little movie plays and we don’t even see them. All we remember is the pleasant movie and ‘talk to your doctor’.
The other day I was in a doctor’s office and noticed a sign in a plastic frame sitting on the reception desk, easily seen by all who entered. The sign said: “Attention all Marketing Representatives (Drug Reps, DME Reps, Specialty Reps) Please do not offer staff or providers any gifts, as they cannot accept. If we find you continue to offer gifts, you will be asked not to return. Any questions regarding this policy can be directed to the Clinic Manager.”
Well that’s pretty clear. The reps are trying to bribe the clinic people to get their drugs in there. Clue #2.
Alright, I’m going to start keeping a list whenever I’m watching TV. Which isn’t that often. Now that the final four is over. Sporting events, that’s my thing. I’ll even watch baseball sometimes. Anyways I’m going to keep a list of who they are and what they’re selling and a short synopsis of their movie. See if I can find some more clues.
U.S. drug sales in 2020 were 514 billion. Clue #3. Or is it #4. They’re piling up fast. The United States, by the way, is the world’s largest pharmaceutical market, accounting for 48% of the entire global market. Americans are well medicated, at least. At least we got that part of health care down.
The top pharmaceutical companies, like Pfizer, Merck and Eli Lilly, in the US, have huge budgets for advertising. I don’t know what their budgets are or how they produce their commercials but it’s a big part of their budget.
Coming up with drugs that “aim to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent diseases.” is their business, according to Statista, a trade publication for the pharmaceutical industry. I disagree - making the drugs and convincing you that you need them, that’s their business.
Obviously there are lots of great drugs that really help people, I just got my Pfizer vaccine and am glad for it. But why is their advertising so sneaky? Why are they bribing employees at my clinic to get their stuff in there? Maybe it’s good intentions gone bad when the money is too much. Get a little market share and you can get drunk on that.
Europe, the United States, Japan, Canada and Australia form the so-called established (or developed) markets. That’s a gimee. The rest of the globe is emerging markets: China, Russia, Brazil and India. In Latin America, the pharmaceutical sales are growing faster than in the developed world. So there’s still plenty of market share to enjoy.
Still plenty of profits to roll in. I mean you don’t want to die, do you? Well, you might want to take this pill then. Yes, it could give you side effects but don’t worry we have a pill for that too.
So that’s my screed for today. Please, the next time you see one of those syrupy, gooshy, pleasantly idyllic commercials from the drug manufacturers, ask yourself one simple question, is this for real or is this a commercial? I know it’s kind of a dumb question, but it really does bring back the reality, somewhat.
It’s not like we don’t know the difference between a performed piece, i.e. a commercial, and reality. We do know but we allow ourselves to believe the performed piece is real and the reality is not.
Human beings. Something else. Really. I mean how did we get to be so stupid and so smart at the same time? Well that’s a screed for another time.
Right now I’m visiting the farmer’s market on a sunny day, buying a basket of tomatoes and zucchini. I turn the corner and the light changes from underlit to perfectly lit, I load up our food truck, me and my happy husband and drive along a winding road next to the ocean. Soon we’re making lovely lunches in our food truck, me and my happy husband, and people are lined up to buy our food in a picnic area near the beach. I am so happy because I’m taking Eliquis (Pfizer) and my chance of having a stroke is reduced. Of course Eliquis can cause serious and in some cases fatal bleeding. You can bruise more easily. It may take longer for bleeding to stop. You should seek immediate medical care for unusual signs of bleeding. And it’s covered by Medicare part D so you won’t have to pay for it.
So you don't connect the need for Eliquis with the happiness you feel for getting the Covax?