In the last ten years, drug advertisements have taken over the airways, print and online media. When traditionally pharmaceutical companies pushed marketing of new products to just doctors, now they go directly to patients. Pharmaceutical companies argue that they have to advertise this way in order to compete with generic drugs.
But marketing for drugs gets lumped under costs for researching, manufacturing and shipping. Pharmaceutical companies must justify their high prices for drugs. If their profit margin is too big, they may be taxed or regulated by national and local governments, which again eats into their profit margins. Pharmaceutical companies made large profits long before they made their first television commercial for a prescription drug. This shows that they can afford to not advertise and still make a profit.
According to a 2008 report published in the Public Library of Science Medicine, pharmaceutical companies spend more money on marketing than they do on research and development of new, potentially life-saving drugs. This shows that the priority of any drug company is to make as money as possible, not to make products that could reduce pain and suffering.
The average person has not been to medical school, pharmaceutical school or has any medical training. For decades, the medical community has been warning about the dangers of self-medication. Usually, “self-medication” means illegal drugs and alcohol, but even abusing legal drugs to alleviate painful symptoms qualifies as self-medication. By allowing drug companies to advertise directly to patients, the drug companies are encouraging self-medication and the misery and complications it can bring.