Summary
Direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs is a $4.5 billion industry and spending has increased fivefold since 1997, sparking great debate on when and whether such advertising should be allowed.
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Don Schilling, a Los Angeles public relations consultant, is a savvy consumer of marketing ploys and, at 57, a man growing more attuned to the allures of pills and potions that promise to boost his health.
For drug makers pitching their prescription medications directly to American consumers, Schilling, a retired Army officer, refers to himself as a "high-value" target.
Americans who watch TV, listen to the radio or flip through a magazine these days are bombarded with advertisements designed to pique interest in a most unlikely consumer product: prescription drugs.
But at a time when the safety and cost of such medications have become hot-button political issues, politicians, patients and those who tend to the nation's health are viewing these ads with a new wariness.
Michael Guarini, a partner with the advertising leader Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, calls this "the perfect storm" in drug advertising, as many forces gather to reform the young industry.
The debate over prescription drug advertising has gained new momentum since the popular arthritis drug Vioxx was withdrawn from the market in September 2004 over safety concerns.
For several years, Vioxx was the most aggressively promoted drug on the market, with direct-to-consumer advertising spending reaching almost $300 million between 2000 and 2001.
Other studies suggest that it enhances communication between patients and their physicians, that it increases the diagnosis of many serious conditions, and that it has helped remove the stigma of many illnesses, such as depression and erectile dysfunction.
The authors, from Emory University School of Medicine, estimated that an average viewer was probably exposed to more than 30 hours of drug ads in 2001 -- about a third of them for drugs available only when prescribed by a doctor.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health researcher, author and award-winning journalist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He is a prolific writer and has published thousands of articles, interviews, reports and consumer guides, and he has authored and published several downloadable personal preparedness courses including a downloadable course focused on safety and self defense. Adams is an honest, independent journalist and accepts no money or commissions on the third-party products he writes about or the companies he promotes. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams is currently the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit, and enjoys outdoor activities, nature photography, Pilates and martial arts training. He's also author a large number of health books offered by Truth Publishing and is the creator of numerous reference website including NaturalPedia.com and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. His websites also include the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the innate healing ability of the human body. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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