Pill-poppin’

Docs are sick of TV drug ads

Time-poor doctors are pleading for the Government to crack down on ads spruiking prescription drugs. It adds pressure on GPS in an already tight consultation window, where patients are demanding the drugs they think are best for them – after seeing an advertisement and thinking the symptoms matched. Dr Helen Clayson is aware of how drug advertising influences patients – in her native country, England, regulation was much tighter. The Wairarapa-based GP said it used precious time when patients lobbied for medicines they saw in ads. ‘‘The length of a consultation is short. We have an awful lot to get through in that time and having a discussion about medications that you don’t necessarily want to prescribe seems to be a distraction,’’ Clayson said. ‘‘There is always the need to unpick the information and try not to alienate the patient because, after all, they are just trying to do the best for their health. ‘‘We’ve got to try to explain the issues in a few minutes and counteract all the power that all the resources have behind advertising to persuade people the new medication is a great thing.’’ The United States was the only other developed country which allowed drug companies to bypass doctors and market prescription medicines directly to its citizens. Associate professor of psychiatry at Auckland University David Menkes said it was time to act while the Medicines Act was being reviewed to be replaced by the Therapeutic Products Bill. ‘‘This is an ideal opportunity for the Government to put something into that new regulatory framework that either would better regulate, or ideally phase out direct to consumer advertising altogether. The iron is hot right now.’’ Health Minister David Clark was seeking viewpoints from health practitioners. ‘‘The ministry will be consulting on a draft of the Therapeutic Products Bill in the near future,’’ Clark said. ‘‘I’m interested to hear more on this issue from the sector as part of that consultation.’’ There was a groundswell of concern amongst doctors, Menkes said: ‘‘Particularly GPs, because they’re the ones who are asked in the first instance about this stuff’’. ‘‘Our point is that direct to consumer advertising is tragically flawed and no amount of regulation, short of banning it, is actually going to work. There’s big money in there so any of those regulations, they’ll work around them. ‘‘You’ll notice that almost all of those ads end with that one phrase ‘Ask your doctor if X is right for you?’ and unfortunately they do ask their doctor and more than half the time the doctor has to explain that they don’t need it or that it is more likely to do harm than good.’’ Graeme Jarvis, manager of Medicines New Zealand, which represents companies which manufacture and market prescription medicines, said numerous studies showed advertising involved the patient in the decision-making process, increased compliance, and reminded them to take their prescription medicines. ‘‘Prescription medicines direct to consumer advertising is rigorously regulated and always goes through a series of extensive internal and external scientific, legal, patient safety and medical review processes.’’ Consumer New Zealand’s Jessica Wilson said her organisation had called for a ban for more than a decade. ‘‘Our research has found these ads downplay safety issues and lack balanced health information while important details can be buried in the fine print,’’ she said. ‘‘Despite what drug companies may claim, the primary purpose of advertising is to fuel demand and sell more products.’’ Consumers were not getting reliable and useful information from the ads. ‘‘Instead, they’re being sold the promise of a quick fix without all the facts needed to make an informed choice.’’ The Council of Medical Colleges in New Zealand said the practice could lead to increased costs, inappropriate prescribing, overtreatment and may put the doctorpatient relationship at risk. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists said the adverse impacts of direct-to-consumer advertising outweighed the benefits.

Having a discussion about medications that you don’t necessarily want to prescribe seems to be a distraction. Dr Helen Clayson, above