You've seen these ads on TV in the U.S.: A man strides through the office, whistling, and everyone knows something is different but can't quite figure out what. A couple sits in folding chairs on a beach, watching a sunset, and the voiceover intones something like, "When the time is right...will you be ready?"
TMI!! TMI!! I don't want to think about another couple's sex life, even if it's a made-up couple on TV. Urg.
In the U.S., ads for prescription medications specify a disease or condition, extol the benefits of a particular medication, and then advise you to call your doctor to see if ___ is right for you. They're ubiquitous and annoying, but at least they're clear, even in the 15-second slots.
By law, Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturers can't specify a disease or condition in connection with a drug. So advertisers have to create recognition without including key information. One ad that's running now for Celebrex features about six different people saying, "This isn't a commercial for..." and naming something related to what they're doing: bowling, for example, or swimming. Then it advises you to consult your physician to see if Celebrex is right for you.
Well, how do I know if I even want to ask? The people taking Celebrex--a mix of men and women who look to be about 55 or older--certainly seem happy and fit. But why are they taking it? Why would I want to ask my physician about it? And given the shortage of family care physicians in northwestern Ontario and Canada as a whole, am I really going to waste valuable time in my next checkup going over a list of medications that may be totally wrong for me?
Advertisers and pharmaceutical companies would argue that drug ads create a public that's better informed about their own health care. I'm not so sure. But at least the ads in the U.S. do give information. Canadians have to rely on Google, where I found out that Celebrex relieves the pain of osteoarthritis.
In the U.S., ads for prescription medications specify a disease or condition, extol the benefits of a particular medication, and then advise you to call your doctor to see if ___ is right for you. They're ubiquitous and annoying, but at least they're clear, even in the 15-second slots.
By law, Canadian pharmaceutical manufacturers can't specify a disease or condition in connection with a drug. So advertisers have to create recognition without including key information. One ad that's running now for Celebrex features about six different people saying, "This isn't a commercial for..." and naming something related to what they're doing: bowling, for example, or swimming. Then it advises you to consult your physician to see if Celebrex is right for you.
Well, how do I know if I even want to ask? The people taking Celebrex--a mix of men and women who look to be about 55 or older--certainly seem happy and fit. But why are they taking it? Why would I want to ask my physician about it? And given the shortage of family care physicians in northwestern Ontario and Canada as a whole, am I really going to waste valuable time in my next checkup going over a list of medications that may be totally wrong for me?
Advertisers and pharmaceutical companies would argue that drug ads create a public that's better informed about their own health care. I'm not so sure. But at least the ads in the U.S. do give information. Canadians have to rely on Google, where I found out that Celebrex relieves the pain of osteoarthritis.
