Buyer Beware

What’s the deal with all these ads on TV for drugs? They always begin: “Ask your doctor about Oxopharmacosis. It may be right for you. Side effects include anal leakage, heart attacks and blood clots. Pregnant and lactating women should not use Oxopharmacosis.” Then it ends with something like: “Embrace life, embrace Oxopharmacosis”. The ads invariably barely hint at what the product in question treats. Of course Oxopharmacosis is just a made up product. In fact, in retrospect, it sounds like a condition you might need a drug for.

I only really see these bizarre commercials on the US stations that we get up here in the Great White North. I guess it makes sense given the nature of medicine in the US. When you’re paying for it, you could ask your doctor for anything; as long as you can pay and he or she won’t get hit with a malpractice suit, pop those pills. He or she is essentially a distributor for the pharmaceutical companies after all. At least they don’t pretend about it like we do in Canada.

Another observation that just dawned on me is that in these ads the doctors are always referred to as males. “He will be able to advise you if Product A would be right for you”. “Tell him if you experience any side-effects while on Product A”. What gives? Admittedly, I have a male family doctor but all my med school friends are female. Oh pharmaceutical companies, when will you learn?

Anal leakage for all!