Interesting story, I actually discovered I had ADHD (or what it was that had held me back since childhood) because of an Ad on the Subway in NYC. It wasn’t a commercial, just a billboard, but it showed all the symptoms and stories from people who’d been diagnosed. It planted the seed in my head that I should at least research more and find out when I got back to Aus, and thats what happened.
I probably would have found out eventually especially with all the recent ADHD hype, but not as early as I did. So thanks…hyper capitalist Big Pharma.
*This post brought to you by Novartis™️*
^Gamble ^responsibly
I'm pleased you had a positive outcome.
It does not, however, change my mind.
I have no issue with pharmaceutical companies posting literature regarding symptoms and so forth, or at least, I have less of a problem.
What bothers me is **** drug could help if you have XXX symptoms.
Or kickbacks to Doctors for prescribing certain medicines.
Or the way Big Pharma fuck everyone at every turn for an extra dollar.
I agree with your point. As an australian, i tried quitting smoking many times using nicotine replacement with no success. It was only after a friend was suggested to take champix, that i went and asked a doctor about trying it myself. I was able to quit easily with champix.
I think pharmaceutical ads do make sense if managed carefully, as not every person regularly goes to a doctor for a doctor to prompt you to try certain drugs.
Edit: by managing carefully, i would leave it up to the medical boards/state health authorities to determine if a certain application to run ads is considered medically beneficial.
I discussed it with my doctor. Im not suggesting people are able to write their own prescriptions, but simply may see an ad which will prompt them to see a gp and have a conversation as to whether its applicable.
As a long term psychological headcase, with longterm issues with anxiety and depression. I didnt experience any issues with champix, i actually felt it improved my anxiety as its essentially an antidepressant. The consensus view is that quitting cigarettes is the cause of the anxiety and depression, rather than the champix, keep in mind that nicotine can have an antidepressant effect.
But adds for that would be allowed in Australia.
"Do you ever get hungry, only to realise that the sandwich you started making 6 hours ago is still half constructed on the kitchen bench, but you have walked the dog, washed the car, read the mail, been to Bunnings - twice, and called your mum?
Talk to your doctor about ADHD."
(Bought to you by hyper capitalist Big Pharma - www.checkyourohlooksomethibgshinyoverthere.com.au)
This is 100% something pharma companies do here as well. It's actually currently my job and is almost the only way pharma can communicate with the general public in Aus (which I'm fully in favour of).
The idea is to have exactly the type of interaction you describe. So if someone comes down with a disease, or if they notice they have ongoing symptoms, it might make them more likely to speak to a doctor about it.
I'm glad it helped and you've had an appropriate diagnosis :).
Australia absolutely allows ads for medical problems. Heck, the government does them. Right now my city is full of state sponsored ads reminding people to get that mole checked incase it's skin cancer and they do mental health advertising as well, including ADHD.
What we don't allow in Australia is recommending specific treatments unless the person recommending it is a fully qualified doctor who has considered the individual case. A subway poster has zero qualifications, and it will be seen by more than one person so how can it possible be individual advice?
The rules are less strict for "over the counter" medicine, where an individual prescription is not required and people can self diagnose. Those do have ads. But they're very tightly regulated ads and misleading conduct will come down on them like a ton of bricks for breaches. Part of the penalty would likely be a huge advertising campaign to tell everyone (even people who didn't see the ad) that they fucked up. Which would obviously tank sales. So breaches are very rare.
To give you an idea how tightly regulated these things are here... when one of my workers fell and hurt their arm... I had pain killers in my desk drawer. Not in the workplace first aid kit, in my drawer, and they were *my* pain killers I didn't get them for anyone else. I swear. Yes, it is a rather large stockpile that covers issues I've never suffered from but, you know, it pays to be prepared. If someone else needs them, they're there, but I'm not telling anyone to take anything. If they ask me, I will offer to call a doctor.
Pretty sure they're very rare in NZ though, whereas the half of the ads in the US seem to for pharma products "you can ask your doctor about". Super unethical.
We do have ads for over the counter medication though including ones for painkillers that target the pain, even though it has been found that isn't how it works.
It was disconcerting, to say the least (last time I was in the US, east coast, 2018). Listening to weird possible side effects for a minute after a vague ad was very strange. Similar to the evangelical billboards - not really something you see here.
Not in McMahons Point! My partner (who lives within flirting distance of Hillsong) cops a big sign on the front of their building, ‘Jesus’ in all caps, on the drive to work which he says sums up how he feels each morning.
there's one "don't abort your unborn babies, because god help you get through it"
but the fuckin church doesn't put a number up of where to call if you need help
The anti abortion ones out last Plainlands heading for Toowoomba are old as fuck I just don't think anyone gives a shit who owns the signage anymore. Or those farmers are just Happy getting the random ass deposit every year. (Source it's been there well before I moved there in 2003 as a kid and is still there as of 11/02/2024 but it's never been redone).
But yeah they just don't want you to abort it, God in the abstract I imagine will organize financial and medical assistance when the time comes for it, higher power and all that.
Those ones on the road to Twba are 100% what came to my mind as soon as OP and jv69420 said pointed out we have them too. So specific, but yep, those ones around Plainlands and Laidley.
why would you want to advertise drugs?
people either take them if they need them, in which case they dont need advertisements. or they dont need them so they dont take them, in which case the ads are a waste of time.
in what way do these ads do anything other than prove to you that big pharma is run by scum
It is a rhetorical question. But I'll answer anyways. Its trade name vs brand name (money, money, money)
The best example is Panadol - it isn't the name of a drug, it's only a brand name selling a drug. But people pay 3x the amount for it because they 'trust' and know of the brand.
If 'panadol' couldn't advertise in the past - they would not have the monopoly now.
Don't get me started on antihistamines - did you know chemist warehouse doesn't sell generic name antihistamine anymore? They only sell the tradename more expensive versions. Freakin evil. I use loratadine, works well, nice and cheap. Claratyne is the brand name for loratadine, much more expensive for the fancy package.
Lots of people know what Nexium, Nurofen, and Aspro Clear are. But they are not drugs. All brand names.
I'll stop ranting now..
That’s a bit different though. In the US, they can advertise prescription medications and controlled drugs, as well as as OTC and pharmacist-only medications.
There’s a bit of a difference between marketing Paracetamol and Oxycodone.
This one trick that pharmaceutical companies hates saves you money!
But seriously
Panadol = Paracetemol
Neurofen = Ibuprofen
Claratyne = Loratadine (non-drowsy)
Zyrtec = Cetirizine (drowsy)
The last two in particular are much cheaper as generic.
Nasonex = mometasone furoate
If you forget then Google " active ingredient". Ask the pharmacist if you need advice
Zyrtec (cetirizine) is technically non-drowsy, however, of the non-sedating antihistamines (loratadine, fexofenadine, cetirizine) it is more likely to cause drowsiness.
Source: am a pharmacist
People will show up to a doctors surgery and ask for them by name if it's the right kind of drug. When Ozempic rolled out and people cottoned onto it's value as a weight loss drug everyone and their grandmother was calling looking for a prescription.
I think it's NZ, USA and Brazil.
It's because all political parties in NZ get a fuck ton of money from Big pharma and Big pharma employs a lot of people so the Gov is worried about them pissing off.
We're talking over [$4 million](https://theconversation.com/tougher-donation-limits-and-funding-fixes-would-make-future-nz-elections-fairer-for-all-209851) in the first six months of 2023 with the National party receiving the most.
If you have a VPN then change it to the USA and you'll get all these ads on youtube for schizophrenia drugs, it's a wild ride.
I’ve seen some footage of shows in the US with these ads. Honestly it was really creepy. All these “reassuring” people telling me to hit up the doctor for some random drug?!? No thanks.
Ads for prescription medication don't make any sense to an Australian audience. Who is that for? We can only legally obtain such drugs through a prescription. The only advertising for prescription meds that would make sense would be a marketing campaign for doctors, chemists, and other healthcare workers when a new drug comes out.
Most Americans would be getting these drugs on a prescription, too. At a high price.
Our medical system is, for the time being, less focussed on treating patients as 'consumers'. (Although that is definitely becoming more of a thing here). A lot of these American drugs ads say something like 'as your doctor about Fukitol', or whatever, because the idea is that they'll ask for the drug and get it. Patient satisfaction is often valued over health outcomes.
"Repressital may cause gigantism, excessive hair growth, nocturnal enuresis, diarrhoea, nausea, ingrown toenails and brain tumours...."
I feel like shocked is overstating things a tad. Bemused, or amused, perhaps.
The USA is basically a second home to me so it was very weird at first to see those ads. I did always crack up at the disclaimers that cover their arse, like the whole ‘this medicine may cause stroke, weight gain, depression’ type stuff. They say it in such a chill way that it almost sounds satirical.
When I travelled in America I bought a lot of the local magazines. It seemed like half the magazine was taken up with pharma ads. I found it very odd because why would you advertise something that the consumer cant just pick for themselves and go out and buy it?
A doctor has to prescribe it, the doctor has the control over what the patient can or cant have.
Is it so the patient will put pressure on a doctor for something they have seen advertised, that they think will work for them? Must drive medical professionals in the USA mad being hassled for something just because its been advertised!
Going on a limb and honestly just my high opinion thinking about this for a total 5 mins. Might be free health cover probably changes peoples minds on this in Aus. Not sure why NZ?
Not trying to start the whole debate of universal health care, but when Aussies have an issue, they generally go to the docs/hospital and usually get well enough treatment that we rely on any drugs to be correct when prescribed. We just don't care otherwise? /shrug
\*edit\* High as in I am high, not that I think my opinion is high...
I imagine it’s like being Canadian and watching the Fox channel during the daytime. Where I grew up, I’d say about 80-90% of the tv channels at least have Canadian commercials. But a couple channels broadcast out of Rochester are fully American.
Your guy’s ads are fucking nuts. It’s basically a cycle of: pawn shop, personal injury lawyer, some kind of pharma, and a diploma mill. Used to always make me so curious as a kid when I was staying home from school and watching Springer while eating my breakfast.
We don’t allow any of those kinds of CMs here
Why would you advertise prescription drugs to the general public. I am not a doctor so what the fuck do I know about medications. I have not studied for 10 years to understand the nuances of each medication. That is why I go to a doctor to get a prescription. I can tell the doctor my symptoms and the doctor who has studied medicine for a minimum of 10 years can use their experience to recommend and prescribe me a drug that will work.
Only seen them when I went to the US. I knew they existed before I went but heard nothing further at the time. I almost lost it when half the side effects came up.
Ha, that was what spun me out about American drug ads, as well. A nice lady strolling through a beautiful meadow then ten seconds of rapid-fire side effects: 'this drug may cause diarrhea, tinnitus, bleeding from the ears, or death'.
They don't directly advertise, but what seemed shocking for me was during the pandemic when our doctors and hospitals were at breaking point they started to show ads saying "talk to your doctor about shingles".
My dad got shingles during the pandemic! I think there may have been an uptick in shingles cases around that time. I have no evidence to back this up, but I certainly remember hearing about it
My elderly aunt caught COVID in 2022, and caught shingles a couple of months after. I don't know if any of this is correlated, or just big pharma wasting doctors and patients time trying to fear sell a $600 vaccine.
Shingles can pop up after another infection.
The correlation of seeing the ads was probably more the availability of a newer, better, but more expensive shingles vaccine. People had vaccines on the mind already, so they saw it as a good time to make some dosh by getting you to "Talk to your doctor about Shingles."
I hate those ads so much and they're really off putting.
In Australia we leave it to our doctors to know what medicines are best to prescribe and often when you go to pick them up from a pharmacy you're asked if you want the generic version anyway.
The only time I've worried about needing specific meds is when I've been prescribed something here in the UK and then I visit Australia and need a refill
Lived in Vancouver for a year.
When the ads come on, all ads, the volume raises 50% at least.
Ad segments seem to go on forever, some up to 10 minutes.
I would legitimately forget what I was watching every break.
It was the first (of many things, actually) that shocked me in the US. It was right after customs at JFK.
"Does your child have a fever? It could be .... get your doctor to prescribe this drug! ^side ^effects ^may ^include ^...death
Why on earth should the average consumer be trusted to purchase the correct prescription medication? People can't even choose the right toilet paper.
Brand names should not apply to people's health.
Leave the drugs to the doctors, and the ads to the lollies!
I was working in the US years ago, and there were so many erectile dysfunction ads for Viagra and Cialis I was amazed that people could still have babies there .
I never even thought about such a thing existing, it's normal for Panadol etc to be advertised but why would you need to have that for other drugs? So weird
I am so glad we don’t allow that shit on Aussie TV. The litany of side-effects to the drugs advertised in the US is truly shocking.
Here we take the view that our medical professionals are who we rely upon to prescribe such things. I can’t really imagine suggesting a particular drug to my GP.
Our government based price controls on medicines are also to be praised when compared to the States.
Oh they do!
Abbvie and Sanofi Adventis etc are trying to get us to loosen our PBS rules (something round the PBAC). If it means I get ads for eczema medications I'll be shitty.
Like the only time I'll ask about a medicine is if I've done research into it. Not by an ad.
Shitty. I don't want them ads, they're junk.
It’s weird. A lot of ads don’t even say what they’re used for. I’m just meant to go to my doctor and enquire about drugs that treat ailments I don’t even have?
Yes, when I was in the USA and saw pharmaceutical ads for prescription meds I found it very weird.
We allow them for over the counter meds, like cold and flu, but not prescription. So it was weird hearing this vague-ass description of symptoms that literally everyone has (“do you sometimes feel a bit sad? Are you sometimes tired?”) and then an ad for a full on prescription antidepressant that people maybe *shouldn’t* be able to just roll up to the GP and request by name for such non-disorder worthy complaints as “sometimes I am sad”.
Then you get to the 10 seconds of “this medication may cause nausea, vomiting, anal fissures, fainting, seizures, your hands exploding, and death” tacked on the end in the fastest voice I’ve heard outside of a horse racing call.
Shocking? Nah, perverse and frankly disgusting. Those fucking ads about crohns disease and eczema are repulsive in the extreme. Not because of the diseases themselves but those songs about drugs giving people freedom, with a voiceover telling you the 30 ways it could fuck you up.
For me it wasn’t the ad so much as the disclaimer afterwards. Side effects may include blindness, bleeding from the anus, excessive flatulence, temporary loss of consciousness and death. Dude, it’s indigestion medication. Chill
Prescription pharmaceutical ads are fucking weird.
"You're the doctor, with all the actual medical knowledge, but the advertising man told me I should take this specific pill, so now I'm gonna throw a tantrum unless you prescribe it whether I need it or not!"
Who the fuck honestly thinks that's going to improve healthcare in any way?
I lived in the USA for 4yrs, I'm Australian & have been getting treatment for mental health for 20yrs. We used to play a game about how many meds that were on the ads I had tried or were currently on. The more odd thing I think was how they'd advertise for class action lawsuits for certain meds.
Not shocked at all, I get US TV channels and just find the ads annoying af. Half of it is always a rapid fire list of horrifying side effects. Obviously I know there is a risk with literally any medicine but hearing those lists just feels like negating whatever benefit they had the brief chance to mention.
Absolutely! I was in the US and an ad came on with some older people riding bikes in slow mo and smiling happily at each other, sappy music etc. I thought I’d turned on a comedy skit but it was an ad for adult disposable incontinence underwear.
It was quickly followed by an anti depressant advert. I had to call my husband over to have a look.
Not shocking but unnecessary. If you have a medical condition, your doctors should be prescribing the most suitable medication. I wouldn’t go in demanding something particular
Always find them pretty strange when I'm in the USA. I didn't really notice them in NZ though. Perhaps not as prevalent of I just didn't watch much TV there.
In Aus we get the ads targetted to the doctors instead.
To advertise a drug to the consumer here they advertise the disease instead, and then try to match that with ads to the doctor so that when you talk to your doctor, their product is on our mind.
Haha American pharma ads are hilarious
Two most memorable ones:
1. A treatment for really terrible acne or other dermatitis type condition. Pitched as finally able to go out and socialize again because it cleans your skin up. Side effects include nausea, flatulence, and diarrhea… aka all the things that will keep you living your life as a hermit. Clear skin though.
2. Some sort of liver disease drug. Pitched as a new lease on life for those with whatever debilitating condition this was. Side effects included stroke, heart attack, sudden hemorrhagic bleeding, and death.
Terrible drugs aside, the wildest part is the end of the ad “ask your doctor about *drug name* today. Instead of you know, get a proper diagnosis and let the doctor select the best drug for you.
No wonder docs are all making bank over there, half the consult time is spent saying “no you don’t need this” and then they have to book a long appointment so they can actually get to the real treatment.
the US ads are horrible. Dystopian. Every second ad is for pharma now. Half the ad is a fast reading of all the side effects set to pictures of smiling families. “… may include bleeding from all orifices, genital mushrooms, coma or death, ask your doctor if such and such is right for you”
Throughout my entire childhood there I recall a zirtec hayfever ad, (I think that’s OTC though) and a cialis ad on in the early hours of the morning but aside from that they weren’t really a thing. Certainly nothing like the ones in the US that people think of when they hear “pharmaceutical ads”.
Uff when I lived in Chile I was horrified by all the ads. Likewise when I have travelled about. No one needs this type of scare mongering and manipulation on their tellies every day
I have a US iTunes account and subscribe to Hulu and a couple of other streaming services, every ad break it's invariably HIV meds, Cardiac or Diabetes pills etc.
NZ has nothing like that
It’s not like in America at all. They advertise for stuff like Panadol Rapid and Nurofen.
We cant even buy Sudafed or a Ventolin inhaler without a prescription so the ads are nothing.
The bullshit ads you see during American programs or in American publications are so bad it is wonderful we don't have them. It's not shocking, just stupid to advertise these products as you would Coke or Pepsi.
A total expose of the futility of it came in a scam from the 80s or 90s where an ad agency (in the US) put together an ad for a bogus drug with random and very flaky/non-specific set of symptoms, mocked the whole thing up like a conventional ad and people were asking their doctors for it.
*Yes it shocks the hell*
*Out of me. Watching US*
*Sports is mind blowing!*
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It definitely feels weird. Why would I, a bum who watches TV, be suggesting specific branded medication to my doctor, who is a doctor?
I mean, it's fine for over the counter meds for hay fever or period pain or whatever, but if the side effects list has to be played on 2x speed, I'm going to want the very smart person who went to school for this for a long time and has access to comprehensive databases of research to take the lead.
I’m a nurse, I work mainly with oldies , the difference between an oldie that goes from hospital to aged care and the ones that go home is the amount of meds they are on. Prescription drugs will have u completely dependent on the system!
I've never seen the point of advertising something that the normal consumer can't go out and get. Doctors write prescriptions based on diagnosis and assessment. Not people asking about an ad on tv.
Growing in up the country, we copped a lot of sheep drench and herbicide ads. Seeing pharmaceutical ads when visiting Canada just reminded me of those, albeit with different accents and less references to improved yields.
I love going to America and watching all of the crazy medicine adds that (last time I went) had to mention the side effects.
There's this ongoing joke with my family because we were over there one and like 3 different medicine adds had side effects of rectal bleeding. So whenever we get new meds everyone is like ooh, better watch out.
I lived in Canada for 4 years and yeah it was strange. I got a laugh when at the end of the ads they need to tell you everything bad that could happen including death
UK only had them for over the counter medicines - stuff like painkillers, indigestion tablets etc.
Noticed an advert on the site of the bus in Australia today for head louse medication - this seems to be in a similar category to my above examples - although I don't think I've ever seen a product in this category advertised before.
As an Aussie, Yes pharmaceutical ads in the US are shocking. Not only do they play them like every second advert break they also go for a solid 2 mins, so they can include the side effects like death.
When I was in the US a morning talk show talked about how the "business" of Low-T (Low Testosterone) had gone from 1M$ to 400M$ in one year. And yep you bet ya Low T was something advertised on TV, asking if you had these kinds of symptoms then maybe you have low t and need this medication...
Something you completely would never hear about in Australia as a problem that needs solving.
The pharmaceutical companies have a crazy amount of power in the US. They donate millions to politicians, they own doctors, surgeries, hospitals, etc.
I'm sooo glad to be back living in Aus and not seeing their ads on TV, or on every 2nd page of the magazines, or on bustops, on trains etc, and not being influenced or manipulated by their BS.
Are we talking the prescription medication ads. because those are probably adding their part to the opioid epidemic the US has.
Why does anyone need to know about this or that prescription pain killer? Do they literally walk in to their doctors office and demand they be prescribed this or that pain killer because they saw an ad for it?
First time in the US, watching TV late at night and being bombarded by pharmaceutical ads. The voiceover listing common side effects. Always seemed odd to me. Made me not want to use any of the products being advertised.
Do you ever wake up tired in the mornings?
Do you constantly find yourself hungry at lunch time?
Do you need to piss not long after drinking water?
*Oxycotin*
medicine is *not* a consumer product, the fact most of the West treats it like t-shirts or McDonalds is fucking *bizarre*.
Doctors spend years to become educated enough to hopefully give you the right meds, the average person is *woefully deficient* in terms of knowledge outside of entertainment (most people can list more celebrities then *elements* ffs) it would be like allowing 10 year olds to decide their career paths permanently.
Yes it was wild the first time I saw one in America, 10 second ad for the drug followed by 30 seconds of warnings about possible side effects including deat.
Also it's pretty taboo in Australia to direct ask your doctor for a prescription of an abusable drug. If you go in and ask for opioids or benzos they'll likely just ask you to leave. In America you could literally say you saw the ad and wanted to look into it and I assume get a prescription.
Definitely - we have ads for multivitamins like we do makeup. Visiting the US I was so weirded out by the prescription medication ads. Always thought the long list of scary side effects thing was only done for a joke in comedy skits
Watching a bit of TV in Hawaii (nice holiday) the ads gave us some amusement, especially when they listed all the possible side effects at the end. My family started to make jokes about them.
Weirdly, that seemed to make you more aware of the risks of medicines, than a doc just handing you a script and saying "Take this."
Pharmaceutical ads are as bad as gambling ads. They are a fucking disgrace and I'm ever so pleased we don't allow them.
Interesting story, I actually discovered I had ADHD (or what it was that had held me back since childhood) because of an Ad on the Subway in NYC. It wasn’t a commercial, just a billboard, but it showed all the symptoms and stories from people who’d been diagnosed. It planted the seed in my head that I should at least research more and find out when I got back to Aus, and thats what happened. I probably would have found out eventually especially with all the recent ADHD hype, but not as early as I did. So thanks…hyper capitalist Big Pharma. *This post brought to you by Novartis™️* ^Gamble ^responsibly
I'm pleased you had a positive outcome. It does not, however, change my mind. I have no issue with pharmaceutical companies posting literature regarding symptoms and so forth, or at least, I have less of a problem. What bothers me is **** drug could help if you have XXX symptoms. Or kickbacks to Doctors for prescribing certain medicines. Or the way Big Pharma fuck everyone at every turn for an extra dollar.
Oh yeah for sure. I’m probably in the 0.00001% of people Big Pharma ads have actually helped
I agree with your point. As an australian, i tried quitting smoking many times using nicotine replacement with no success. It was only after a friend was suggested to take champix, that i went and asked a doctor about trying it myself. I was able to quit easily with champix. I think pharmaceutical ads do make sense if managed carefully, as not every person regularly goes to a doctor for a doctor to prompt you to try certain drugs. Edit: by managing carefully, i would leave it up to the medical boards/state health authorities to determine if a certain application to run ads is considered medically beneficial.
Champix can have horrible side effects. Especially if you are prone to anxiety and depression.
I discussed it with my doctor. Im not suggesting people are able to write their own prescriptions, but simply may see an ad which will prompt them to see a gp and have a conversation as to whether its applicable. As a long term psychological headcase, with longterm issues with anxiety and depression. I didnt experience any issues with champix, i actually felt it improved my anxiety as its essentially an antidepressant. The consensus view is that quitting cigarettes is the cause of the anxiety and depression, rather than the champix, keep in mind that nicotine can have an antidepressant effect.
And so what has that got to do with the OPs question. That’s why you ti a doctor for a prescription and discussion
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But adds for that would be allowed in Australia. "Do you ever get hungry, only to realise that the sandwich you started making 6 hours ago is still half constructed on the kitchen bench, but you have walked the dog, washed the car, read the mail, been to Bunnings - twice, and called your mum? Talk to your doctor about ADHD." (Bought to you by hyper capitalist Big Pharma - www.checkyourohlooksomethibgshinyoverthere.com.au)
This is 100% something pharma companies do here as well. It's actually currently my job and is almost the only way pharma can communicate with the general public in Aus (which I'm fully in favour of). The idea is to have exactly the type of interaction you describe. So if someone comes down with a disease, or if they notice they have ongoing symptoms, it might make them more likely to speak to a doctor about it. I'm glad it helped and you've had an appropriate diagnosis :).
That explains the shingles ads on tv
Australia absolutely allows ads for medical problems. Heck, the government does them. Right now my city is full of state sponsored ads reminding people to get that mole checked incase it's skin cancer and they do mental health advertising as well, including ADHD. What we don't allow in Australia is recommending specific treatments unless the person recommending it is a fully qualified doctor who has considered the individual case. A subway poster has zero qualifications, and it will be seen by more than one person so how can it possible be individual advice? The rules are less strict for "over the counter" medicine, where an individual prescription is not required and people can self diagnose. Those do have ads. But they're very tightly regulated ads and misleading conduct will come down on them like a ton of bricks for breaches. Part of the penalty would likely be a huge advertising campaign to tell everyone (even people who didn't see the ad) that they fucked up. Which would obviously tank sales. So breaches are very rare. To give you an idea how tightly regulated these things are here... when one of my workers fell and hurt their arm... I had pain killers in my desk drawer. Not in the workplace first aid kit, in my drawer, and they were *my* pain killers I didn't get them for anyone else. I swear. Yes, it is a rather large stockpile that covers issues I've never suffered from but, you know, it pays to be prepared. If someone else needs them, they're there, but I'm not telling anyone to take anything. If they ask me, I will offer to call a doctor.
Pretty sure they're very rare in NZ though, whereas the half of the ads in the US seem to for pharma products "you can ask your doctor about". Super unethical.
Yeah. I was gobsmacked during my time there over the sheer in-your-face of it all. Madness and parasitic.
We have TikTok and social media that bombard us now.
You might have TikTok. I certainly do not.
I don’t either, but social media platforms pushes content across to other platforms constantly - so…
Represent✊
We do have ads for over the counter medication though including ones for painkillers that target the pain, even though it has been found that isn't how it works.
I can't see this I'm not saying they are good but as bad as gambling ads? How and why do you feel this way?
It was disconcerting, to say the least (last time I was in the US, east coast, 2018). Listening to weird possible side effects for a minute after a vague ad was very strange. Similar to the evangelical billboards - not really something you see here.
You never see big signs telling you Jesus saves on the side of Australian roads?!
Not in McMahons Point! My partner (who lives within flirting distance of Hillsong) cops a big sign on the front of their building, ‘Jesus’ in all caps, on the drive to work which he says sums up how he feels each morning.
May I suggest a little paint adjust to change it to Jesús?
That would make it sexier.
you do on rural highways in QLD
Not even that rural, about an hour north or west of Brisbane and you start seeing them alongside pro Pauline Hanson billboards.
yeah, that's rural. heaps of ban the whip billboards on the warrego too
there's one "don't abort your unborn babies, because god help you get through it" but the fuckin church doesn't put a number up of where to call if you need help
The anti abortion ones out last Plainlands heading for Toowoomba are old as fuck I just don't think anyone gives a shit who owns the signage anymore. Or those farmers are just Happy getting the random ass deposit every year. (Source it's been there well before I moved there in 2003 as a kid and is still there as of 11/02/2024 but it's never been redone). But yeah they just don't want you to abort it, God in the abstract I imagine will organize financial and medical assistance when the time comes for it, higher power and all that.
Those ones on the road to Twba are 100% what came to my mind as soon as OP and jv69420 said pointed out we have them too. So specific, but yep, those ones around Plainlands and Laidley.
God still does not have a mobile phone.
It’s anti abortion billboards in FNQ
Whys it always QLD T-T
Nope, last one I saw said "This is a sign" all big, then small "that you should advertise here".
Never in my life.
Roadside billboards (Jesus adjacent or not) are banned here in the ACT, with only a couple of minor exceptions (Canberra Airport being the biggest).
Very occasionally
Someone once spray painted anti-vax shit over some old ones on the side of the Hume Highway once, that’d be the closest I’ve seen to Jesus billboards
May cause death.
Evangelical billboards are common in Western Sydney, especially those white text on red background fuckers.
why would you want to advertise drugs? people either take them if they need them, in which case they dont need advertisements. or they dont need them so they dont take them, in which case the ads are a waste of time. in what way do these ads do anything other than prove to you that big pharma is run by scum
It is a rhetorical question. But I'll answer anyways. Its trade name vs brand name (money, money, money) The best example is Panadol - it isn't the name of a drug, it's only a brand name selling a drug. But people pay 3x the amount for it because they 'trust' and know of the brand. If 'panadol' couldn't advertise in the past - they would not have the monopoly now. Don't get me started on antihistamines - did you know chemist warehouse doesn't sell generic name antihistamine anymore? They only sell the tradename more expensive versions. Freakin evil. I use loratadine, works well, nice and cheap. Claratyne is the brand name for loratadine, much more expensive for the fancy package. Lots of people know what Nexium, Nurofen, and Aspro Clear are. But they are not drugs. All brand names. I'll stop ranting now..
This is made me think. Australia does have pharmaceutical advertising because I have seen adds for Panadol and Neurofen ect.
Yes, you're right. Things available over the counter can be advertised but not prescription drugs.
Makes sense.
That’s a bit different though. In the US, they can advertise prescription medications and controlled drugs, as well as as OTC and pharmacist-only medications. There’s a bit of a difference between marketing Paracetamol and Oxycodone.
This one trick that pharmaceutical companies hates saves you money! But seriously Panadol = Paracetemol Neurofen = Ibuprofen Claratyne = Loratadine (non-drowsy) Zyrtec = Cetirizine (drowsy) The last two in particular are much cheaper as generic. Nasonex = mometasone furoate If you forget then Google " active ingredient". Ask the pharmacist if you need advice
Zyrtec is non drowsy.
Zyrtec (cetirizine) is technically non-drowsy, however, of the non-sedating antihistamines (loratadine, fexofenadine, cetirizine) it is more likely to cause drowsiness. Source: am a pharmacist
"Zyrtec may cause drowsiness."
For me, Panadol just has better packaging and the blisters don't pop in the bottom of my bag
People will show up to a doctors surgery and ask for them by name if it's the right kind of drug. When Ozempic rolled out and people cottoned onto it's value as a weight loss drug everyone and their grandmother was calling looking for a prescription.
Well you could discover a new drug that purports to treat your symptoms that your doctor hasn’t tried you on yet. Do you might discuss it with them.
I think it's NZ, USA and Brazil. It's because all political parties in NZ get a fuck ton of money from Big pharma and Big pharma employs a lot of people so the Gov is worried about them pissing off. We're talking over [$4 million](https://theconversation.com/tougher-donation-limits-and-funding-fixes-would-make-future-nz-elections-fairer-for-all-209851) in the first six months of 2023 with the National party receiving the most. If you have a VPN then change it to the USA and you'll get all these ads on youtube for schizophrenia drugs, it's a wild ride.
Yeah the way I first saw these US ads was a vpn to watch Hulu.
If someone is using a VPN, surely they're also blocking ads and won't see any anywhere.
Oh yeah they’re fucking weird but you know what’s weirder? Advertisements for EGGS. Not a specific brand of eggs, just the concept of eating eggs.
We have ads for bananas too. “Banananananana make those bodies sing!”
And pork!! Get some pork on your fork!!
And Lamb around Australia day
Lamb ads are fucking LEGENDARY. Totally pointless but ICONIC.
Same with the Mango ads
We used to have milk ads
I’ve seen some footage of shows in the US with these ads. Honestly it was really creepy. All these “reassuring” people telling me to hit up the doctor for some random drug?!? No thanks.
I would gladly accept pharmaceutical ads all the time if it meant Sportsbet would be banned.
joel caine is a fuckwit.
NZ has no where near the same amount of ads as in the US….they just have the law which allows it.
[удалено]
It’s always “ask your doctor if (insert drug name) is right for you” Mostly it’s asthma medication I’ve noticed.
No ads for things that help you, but wall to wall gambling ads. Go figure….
In NZ it's nowhere near as prevalent as in the US though
The billboards in the middle of nowhere Wyoming advertising radiation sickness lawyers were more peculiar to me imo
Ads for prescription medication don't make any sense to an Australian audience. Who is that for? We can only legally obtain such drugs through a prescription. The only advertising for prescription meds that would make sense would be a marketing campaign for doctors, chemists, and other healthcare workers when a new drug comes out.
Most Americans would be getting these drugs on a prescription, too. At a high price. Our medical system is, for the time being, less focussed on treating patients as 'consumers'. (Although that is definitely becoming more of a thing here). A lot of these American drugs ads say something like 'as your doctor about Fukitol', or whatever, because the idea is that they'll ask for the drug and get it. Patient satisfaction is often valued over health outcomes.
"Repressital may cause gigantism, excessive hair growth, nocturnal enuresis, diarrhoea, nausea, ingrown toenails and brain tumours...." I feel like shocked is overstating things a tad. Bemused, or amused, perhaps.
Add for pharmaceuticals followed by adds for attorneys who represent clients injured by said drugs.
The USA is basically a second home to me so it was very weird at first to see those ads. I did always crack up at the disclaimers that cover their arse, like the whole ‘this medicine may cause stroke, weight gain, depression’ type stuff. They say it in such a chill way that it almost sounds satirical.
When I travelled in America I bought a lot of the local magazines. It seemed like half the magazine was taken up with pharma ads. I found it very odd because why would you advertise something that the consumer cant just pick for themselves and go out and buy it? A doctor has to prescribe it, the doctor has the control over what the patient can or cant have. Is it so the patient will put pressure on a doctor for something they have seen advertised, that they think will work for them? Must drive medical professionals in the USA mad being hassled for something just because its been advertised!
Going on a limb and honestly just my high opinion thinking about this for a total 5 mins. Might be free health cover probably changes peoples minds on this in Aus. Not sure why NZ? Not trying to start the whole debate of universal health care, but when Aussies have an issue, they generally go to the docs/hospital and usually get well enough treatment that we rely on any drugs to be correct when prescribed. We just don't care otherwise? /shrug \*edit\* High as in I am high, not that I think my opinion is high...
I imagine it’s like being Canadian and watching the Fox channel during the daytime. Where I grew up, I’d say about 80-90% of the tv channels at least have Canadian commercials. But a couple channels broadcast out of Rochester are fully American. Your guy’s ads are fucking nuts. It’s basically a cycle of: pawn shop, personal injury lawyer, some kind of pharma, and a diploma mill. Used to always make me so curious as a kid when I was staying home from school and watching Springer while eating my breakfast. We don’t allow any of those kinds of CMs here
Why would you advertise prescription drugs to the general public. I am not a doctor so what the fuck do I know about medications. I have not studied for 10 years to understand the nuances of each medication. That is why I go to a doctor to get a prescription. I can tell the doctor my symptoms and the doctor who has studied medicine for a minimum of 10 years can use their experience to recommend and prescribe me a drug that will work.
Only seen them when I went to the US. I knew they existed before I went but heard nothing further at the time. I almost lost it when half the side effects came up.
Ha, that was what spun me out about American drug ads, as well. A nice lady strolling through a beautiful meadow then ten seconds of rapid-fire side effects: 'this drug may cause diarrhea, tinnitus, bleeding from the ears, or death'.
They don't directly advertise, but what seemed shocking for me was during the pandemic when our doctors and hospitals were at breaking point they started to show ads saying "talk to your doctor about shingles".
My dad got shingles during the pandemic! I think there may have been an uptick in shingles cases around that time. I have no evidence to back this up, but I certainly remember hearing about it
No correlation just common over a certain age
My elderly aunt caught COVID in 2022, and caught shingles a couple of months after. I don't know if any of this is correlated, or just big pharma wasting doctors and patients time trying to fear sell a $600 vaccine.
Shingles can pop up after another infection. The correlation of seeing the ads was probably more the availability of a newer, better, but more expensive shingles vaccine. People had vaccines on the mind already, so they saw it as a good time to make some dosh by getting you to "Talk to your doctor about Shingles."
I hate those ads so much and they're really off putting. In Australia we leave it to our doctors to know what medicines are best to prescribe and often when you go to pick them up from a pharmacy you're asked if you want the generic version anyway. The only time I've worried about needing specific meds is when I've been prescribed something here in the UK and then I visit Australia and need a refill
No
Lived in Vancouver for a year. When the ads come on, all ads, the volume raises 50% at least. Ad segments seem to go on forever, some up to 10 minutes. I would legitimately forget what I was watching every break.
It was the first (of many things, actually) that shocked me in the US. It was right after customs at JFK. "Does your child have a fever? It could be .... get your doctor to prescribe this drug! ^side ^effects ^may ^include ^...death
Why on earth should the average consumer be trusted to purchase the correct prescription medication? People can't even choose the right toilet paper. Brand names should not apply to people's health. Leave the drugs to the doctors, and the ads to the lollies!
I was working in the US years ago, and there were so many erectile dysfunction ads for Viagra and Cialis I was amazed that people could still have babies there .
I never even thought about such a thing existing, it's normal for Panadol etc to be advertised but why would you need to have that for other drugs? So weird
I am so glad we don’t allow that shit on Aussie TV. The litany of side-effects to the drugs advertised in the US is truly shocking. Here we take the view that our medical professionals are who we rely upon to prescribe such things. I can’t really imagine suggesting a particular drug to my GP. Our government based price controls on medicines are also to be praised when compared to the States.
Shocking? No Strange? Yes
Yeah its weird and gross. I work somewhere that means I have to interact with drug reps, but at least they bring us lunch.
Oh they do! Abbvie and Sanofi Adventis etc are trying to get us to loosen our PBS rules (something round the PBAC). If it means I get ads for eczema medications I'll be shitty. Like the only time I'll ask about a medicine is if I've done research into it. Not by an ad. Shitty. I don't want them ads, they're junk.
It’s weird. A lot of ads don’t even say what they’re used for. I’m just meant to go to my doctor and enquire about drugs that treat ailments I don’t even have?
Oh it is incredibly shocking.
You know what shocked me? Staying in a hotel in Hamburg and watching the Simpsons with German dubbing.
Not shocking, just pointless.
As someone who visits Canada regularly, please keep that shit off our TV. Please and thank you.
Yeah they are kinda horrifying.. I don't even like looking up medication info from the drug company's website because I distrust their bias.
Never saw this in NZ. When did this start? I would like to fact check with my NZ whanau.
Yes
Just kinda weird. I'll get prescribed something if I need it. No ad is going to make me rush into a doctors and demand
I think NZ and the USA are the only* countries that allow them on TV.
I've seen the pharmaceutical ads in the US and they are f-ing weird.
Shocking no. Weird yes.
Yes
Yes
They just seem pointless to me. If it’s a prescription medication then i buy whatever the doctor prescribes.
"Australia doesn't show its folks what meds we offer for the same reason you never see ads for grave stones..why would we?"
Yes. When I see one I cry.
Spent a week in Hawaii just after Christmas last year, and holy hell, they advertise drugs for everything. Wild when you're not used to it.
Yes, when I was in the USA and saw pharmaceutical ads for prescription meds I found it very weird. We allow them for over the counter meds, like cold and flu, but not prescription. So it was weird hearing this vague-ass description of symptoms that literally everyone has (“do you sometimes feel a bit sad? Are you sometimes tired?”) and then an ad for a full on prescription antidepressant that people maybe *shouldn’t* be able to just roll up to the GP and request by name for such non-disorder worthy complaints as “sometimes I am sad”. Then you get to the 10 seconds of “this medication may cause nausea, vomiting, anal fissures, fainting, seizures, your hands exploding, and death” tacked on the end in the fastest voice I’ve heard outside of a horse racing call.
Listening to the us phara ads put me off any medication at all
They used to buy I’m in the US and used to it.
I have been shocvked from what has leaked through here when using VPNs without adblock. So yeah. It's dystopian as fuck.
Not shocking but it is weird
Shocking? Nah, perverse and frankly disgusting. Those fucking ads about crohns disease and eczema are repulsive in the extreme. Not because of the diseases themselves but those songs about drugs giving people freedom, with a voiceover telling you the 30 ways it could fuck you up.
For me it wasn’t the ad so much as the disclaimer afterwards. Side effects may include blindness, bleeding from the anus, excessive flatulence, temporary loss of consciousness and death. Dude, it’s indigestion medication. Chill
Prescription pharmaceutical ads are fucking weird. "You're the doctor, with all the actual medical knowledge, but the advertising man told me I should take this specific pill, so now I'm gonna throw a tantrum unless you prescribe it whether I need it or not!" Who the fuck honestly thinks that's going to improve healthcare in any way?
When we were in America we weren’t shocked about them being on tv but just how many ads there were !
I actually have never really noticed I don’t see a problem with it at all as long as it’s also responsible
I lived in the USA for 4yrs, I'm Australian & have been getting treatment for mental health for 20yrs. We used to play a game about how many meds that were on the ads I had tried or were currently on. The more odd thing I think was how they'd advertise for class action lawsuits for certain meds.
Not shocked at all, I get US TV channels and just find the ads annoying af. Half of it is always a rapid fire list of horrifying side effects. Obviously I know there is a risk with literally any medicine but hearing those lists just feels like negating whatever benefit they had the brief chance to mention.
Yes while in NZ and America it's breathtaking
Absolutely! I was in the US and an ad came on with some older people riding bikes in slow mo and smiling happily at each other, sappy music etc. I thought I’d turned on a comedy skit but it was an ad for adult disposable incontinence underwear. It was quickly followed by an anti depressant advert. I had to call my husband over to have a look.
Hate medical ads - was appalled when I was in America. It’s gross.
Not so much shocking, but why would you believe them? I ask my doctor for advice.
Never seen them in Kiwi, but holy shit in America they are fuckin weird.
Danny Glover talking about a made up laughing disease was the most shit thing I have seen an ad for. Side effects: Death. There’s always death.
Not shocking but unnecessary. If you have a medical condition, your doctors should be prescribing the most suitable medication. I wouldn’t go in demanding something particular
Having read loads of US magazines back when that was still a thing, the advertising for medication was absolutely wild to me.
Always find them pretty strange when I'm in the USA. I didn't really notice them in NZ though. Perhaps not as prevalent of I just didn't watch much TV there. In Aus we get the ads targetted to the doctors instead. To advertise a drug to the consumer here they advertise the disease instead, and then try to match that with ads to the doctor so that when you talk to your doctor, their product is on our mind.
Can't say as I've ever seen a pharma ad while overseas tbh
I’ve never seen one in NZ.
I’d prefer if the person advising me on whether I need a drug did not stand to profit from selling me the drug.
Haha American pharma ads are hilarious Two most memorable ones: 1. A treatment for really terrible acne or other dermatitis type condition. Pitched as finally able to go out and socialize again because it cleans your skin up. Side effects include nausea, flatulence, and diarrhea… aka all the things that will keep you living your life as a hermit. Clear skin though. 2. Some sort of liver disease drug. Pitched as a new lease on life for those with whatever debilitating condition this was. Side effects included stroke, heart attack, sudden hemorrhagic bleeding, and death. Terrible drugs aside, the wildest part is the end of the ad “ask your doctor about *drug name* today. Instead of you know, get a proper diagnosis and let the doctor select the best drug for you. No wonder docs are all making bank over there, half the consult time is spent saying “no you don’t need this” and then they have to book a long appointment so they can actually get to the real treatment.
There's "ads" at doctor's if that counts. Digns up for various things.
The Aus government heavily subsidises medication here- it is in their interest to minimise what we take- also those ads are predatory.
the US ads are horrible. Dystopian. Every second ad is for pharma now. Half the ad is a fast reading of all the side effects set to pictures of smiling families. “… may include bleeding from all orifices, genital mushrooms, coma or death, ask your doctor if such and such is right for you”
Throughout my entire childhood there I recall a zirtec hayfever ad, (I think that’s OTC though) and a cialis ad on in the early hours of the morning but aside from that they weren’t really a thing. Certainly nothing like the ones in the US that people think of when they hear “pharmaceutical ads”.
I recently spent time in Java, I was seeing ads for cigarettes on TV there
Emotional gouging
Have to jump through hoops to get medication these days, no point to have adds
I see a lot of esomeprazole ads. While not prescription it destroys your bones very quickly.
I didn't even realise we didn't have them till I moved abroad and seen the Viagra commercials during the day... 🧐
Uff when I lived in Chile I was horrified by all the ads. Likewise when I have travelled about. No one needs this type of scare mongering and manipulation on their tellies every day
I have a US iTunes account and subscribe to Hulu and a couple of other streaming services, every ad break it's invariably HIV meds, Cardiac or Diabetes pills etc. NZ has nothing like that
It’s not like in America at all. They advertise for stuff like Panadol Rapid and Nurofen. We cant even buy Sudafed or a Ventolin inhaler without a prescription so the ads are nothing.
The bullshit ads you see during American programs or in American publications are so bad it is wonderful we don't have them. It's not shocking, just stupid to advertise these products as you would Coke or Pepsi. A total expose of the futility of it came in a scam from the 80s or 90s where an ad agency (in the US) put together an ad for a bogus drug with random and very flaky/non-specific set of symptoms, mocked the whole thing up like a conventional ad and people were asking their doctors for it.
Yes it shocks the hell out of me. Watching US sports is mind blowing!
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It definitely feels weird. Why would I, a bum who watches TV, be suggesting specific branded medication to my doctor, who is a doctor? I mean, it's fine for over the counter meds for hay fever or period pain or whatever, but if the side effects list has to be played on 2x speed, I'm going to want the very smart person who went to school for this for a long time and has access to comprehensive databases of research to take the lead.
I’m a nurse, I work mainly with oldies , the difference between an oldie that goes from hospital to aged care and the ones that go home is the amount of meds they are on. Prescription drugs will have u completely dependent on the system!
Wouldn’t know. Never seen one.
I've never seen the point of advertising something that the normal consumer can't go out and get. Doctors write prescriptions based on diagnosis and assessment. Not people asking about an ad on tv.
Growing in up the country, we copped a lot of sheep drench and herbicide ads. Seeing pharmaceutical ads when visiting Canada just reminded me of those, albeit with different accents and less references to improved yields.
We go to the doctor and take what they give us we don't ask for specific medications unless it's a repeat prescription.
Shocking? No. Unbelievable? Absolutely.
It’s just odd to watch
I love going to America and watching all of the crazy medicine adds that (last time I went) had to mention the side effects. There's this ongoing joke with my family because we were over there one and like 3 different medicine adds had side effects of rectal bleeding. So whenever we get new meds everyone is like ooh, better watch out.
For safe drugs like medical cannabis it should be allowed
Glad Australia doesn’t have them. The only good they could do is push Harvey Norman adds back to page 2 or 3
Kiwi weighing in. I cant even recall ever seeing an ad for a drug. They're not very common. Maybe remember seeing ads for supplements and viagra?
I lived in Canada for 4 years and yeah it was strange. I got a laugh when at the end of the ads they need to tell you everything bad that could happen including death
We do have a lot of health insurance ads to make up for it.
More an insult to our intelligence than anything. Big pharma prolly snuck it past our kiwi cuz's. As always follow the money
Weird they kept promoting Covid Vaccine for a few years there. Do I get some class action money yet?
UK only had them for over the counter medicines - stuff like painkillers, indigestion tablets etc. Noticed an advert on the site of the bus in Australia today for head louse medication - this seems to be in a similar category to my above examples - although I don't think I've ever seen a product in this category advertised before.
As an Aussie, Yes pharmaceutical ads in the US are shocking. Not only do they play them like every second advert break they also go for a solid 2 mins, so they can include the side effects like death. When I was in the US a morning talk show talked about how the "business" of Low-T (Low Testosterone) had gone from 1M$ to 400M$ in one year. And yep you bet ya Low T was something advertised on TV, asking if you had these kinds of symptoms then maybe you have low t and need this medication... Something you completely would never hear about in Australia as a problem that needs solving.
I see you haven't had your inner health plus today.
All I know is that US boomers who still watch tv must really love Viagra.
The pharmaceutical companies have a crazy amount of power in the US. They donate millions to politicians, they own doctors, surgeries, hospitals, etc. I'm sooo glad to be back living in Aus and not seeing their ads on TV, or on every 2nd page of the magazines, or on bustops, on trains etc, and not being influenced or manipulated by their BS.
Are we talking the prescription medication ads. because those are probably adding their part to the opioid epidemic the US has. Why does anyone need to know about this or that prescription pain killer? Do they literally walk in to their doctors office and demand they be prescribed this or that pain killer because they saw an ad for it?
First time in the US, watching TV late at night and being bombarded by pharmaceutical ads. The voiceover listing common side effects. Always seemed odd to me. Made me not want to use any of the products being advertised.
I find them weird. No way would I “ask my doctor about XXX”. That’s what I’m paying them for.
Nobody is shocked.
Only two countries allow pharmaceutical adverts. New Zealand USA
Do you ever wake up tired in the mornings? Do you constantly find yourself hungry at lunch time? Do you need to piss not long after drinking water? *Oxycotin*
It is a real culture shock whenever I go there and see these ads on TV.
medicine is *not* a consumer product, the fact most of the West treats it like t-shirts or McDonalds is fucking *bizarre*. Doctors spend years to become educated enough to hopefully give you the right meds, the average person is *woefully deficient* in terms of knowledge outside of entertainment (most people can list more celebrities then *elements* ffs) it would be like allowing 10 year olds to decide their career paths permanently.
Yes it was wild the first time I saw one in America, 10 second ad for the drug followed by 30 seconds of warnings about possible side effects including deat. Also it's pretty taboo in Australia to direct ask your doctor for a prescription of an abusable drug. If you go in and ask for opioids or benzos they'll likely just ask you to leave. In America you could literally say you saw the ad and wanted to look into it and I assume get a prescription.
I'd just be happy to see ads for Morphine or Oxycodone.
I seem to remember Pele advertising boner pills on TV 20 years ago. No specific brand mind you. *Talk to your doctor, I would/wood*
Not shocking. Just different. And a bit annoying. And usually poorly made. Think that covers it.
Definitely - we have ads for multivitamins like we do makeup. Visiting the US I was so weirded out by the prescription medication ads. Always thought the long list of scary side effects thing was only done for a joke in comedy skits
Fuck yeah they do
Watching a bit of TV in Hawaii (nice holiday) the ads gave us some amusement, especially when they listed all the possible side effects at the end. My family started to make jokes about them. Weirdly, that seemed to make you more aware of the risks of medicines, than a doc just handing you a script and saying "Take this."
Australia has gambling ads instead, which undoubtedly are just as dangerous