Healthy Skepticism Library item: 20135

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: news

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Drug adverts dishonest
NZ Herald 2000 Jun 28

Full text:

Recent claims by drug industry spokesman Terence Aschoff that drug company advertising represents a public service seem self-serving and dishonest.

Viagra advertisements, whether by the drug industry or a men’s clinic, can scare men who have a temporary erectile difficulty (which happens to most men at some point) into labelling themselves “impotent” and handing over money for a mechanical solution to a problem that is almost always related to relationship difficulties, stress, guilt or alcohol.

Claims that 40 percent of 40-year-old New Zealand men are impotent, for instance, are inaccurate and irresponsible. Australian researcher Dr Mansfield is right to describe such marketing as “disease-mongering”.

Prozac marketing can persuade us that rather than do something about whatever is depressing is we should just take drugs to change our mood. Xenical advertisements promote the idea that weight loss should be achieved by chemical means rather than a healthier lifestyle.

New Zealand is fortunate to have, in Pharmac, an organisation dedicated to curbing the profiteering and misinformation of the drug industry. When Pharmac highlights studies proving that only 40 percent of drug company advertising is accurate, of course the industry will continue to vilify Pharmac.