Am I the only one

[Slyder]

who's pissed about this. Recently a major gay magazine included an ad for a AIDS drug. It was two pages on heavy paper. When you open it, a sound recording imitates a ringing cell phone and the caller announces that he's at the beach.

This is so wrong on several counts. First, it downplays the general awfulness of HIV and AIDS, making it sound that HIV is now manageable (thanks to the drug being advertised) without much trouble. And second, if a drug company can afford to spend THAT much on advertising, then the drugs are seriously overpriced. For heaven's sake, the target audience of the advertisement cannot even buy the product without a doctor's prescription.

This is not good public relations. Such conspicuous advertising has no place in a world where most persons in need of drugs cannot afford them.

[Warpy]

1. As an uninsured nurse who has been priced out of healthcare

and denied insurance since 1987, I share your rage. Advertising this stuff directly to patients who are not equipped either to determine their own need for a drug or the legal ability to prescribe it is ethically wrong in a dozen different ways.

It is unconscionable.

[Technowitch]

2. Amen!

And I'm speaking as a self-employed woman who is just barely hanging onto a lousy health insurance policy.

[kweerwolf]

3. Over the past few years ...

... pharmacuetical companies have started advertising directly to potential patients. They believe patients will see the ads (for 'erectile dysfunction' rememdies, allergy medication, anti-depressants, and even drugs to treat HIV/AIDS) and will tell their doctors they want to give it a try.

It used to be that drug companies would market their products directly to doctors (with junkets, all sorts of freebies, etc.), but many people don't trust their doctors anymore. So the drug companies play on people's desire to be in control of their own health care decisions and market director to consumers.

I think I recall reading some report a while back that if a patient requested a specific prescription from his or her doctor, the physician would right out the requested perscription 85 percent of the time (assuming it wasn't wildly inappropriate for the patient). This pleases the drug companies because the drugs they are marketing haven't been on the market long enough to have cheaper generic equivalents.

[xchrom]

4. drugs of any sort that are prescription only

should not be appealing to the general public.

there is only so much a lay person can understand about medicine and the biochemical responces involved in taking any medicine.
it's been obvious for sometime that advertising costs are adding to the costs of prescriptions -- so why go there?

it's not good.

[davidinalameda]

5. you haven't been paying attention to other ads

this is nothing new

the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a bill or whatever a couple of years ago banning such ads from city owned kiosks and bus stations because they're so misleading

[swimmernsecretsea]

6. No, you are most assuredly not the only one

I got that magazine ad as well, and was so upset at it I immediately tore it out, and pulled it apart so that the sound mechanism would stop. How annoying! Worse than those perfume strips!

Its been discussed in major media how often and how deceptive the ads for HIV and AIDS management drugs appear. I've frequently noticed how often the models appear as fit as a Men's Fitness magazine model, and as attractive. They stress the sex appeal, a glamorous life, and apparent ease with which HIV can be managed. I believe this responsible for the increase in recorded new cases of not just HIV but of STD's in general.
It makes a chronic, incurable illness that is being managed (not cured) with a powerful battery of medications whose side affects have a major effect one's health and must be taken forever, appear to be a simple nuisance. I find it as offensive as tobacco ads that feature the same images of health, attractiveness, and strength.

[Scottie72]

7. There were two actually

In my OUT and Advocate both ran the ad the first thing I did was rip the ad out and destroy it. It was so very annoying!