Unsurprisingly, the FDA thought of this. They have concluded so far that drug ads are a net benefit for consumers. > Other highlights of the surveys include:

Unsurprisingly, the FDA thought of this. They have concluded so far that drug ads are a net benefit for consumers. > Other highlights of the surveys include: > Most physicians agreed that because their patient saw a DTC ad, he or she asked thoughtful questions during the visit. About the same percentage of physicians thought the ad made their patients more aware of possible treatments. > Many physicians thought that DTC ads made their patients more involved in their health care. > Physicians thought the ads did not convey information about risks and benefits equally well. Seventy-eight percent of physicians believe their patients understand the possible benefits of the drug very well or somewhat, compared to 40 percent who believe their patients understand the possible risks, and 65 percent believe DTC ads confuse patients about the relative risks and benefits of prescription drugs. In addition, about 75 percent of physicians surveyed believed that DTC ads cause patients to think that the drug works better than it does, and many physicians felt some pressure to prescribe something when patients mentioned DTC ads. > Eight percent of physicians said they felt very pressured to prescribe the specific brand-name drug when asked. > DTC ads help patients have better discussions with their physicians and provide greater awareness of treatments. The study demonstrated that when a patient asked about a specific drug, 88 percent of the time they had the condition that the drug treated. And 80 percent of physicians believed their patients understood what condition the advertised drug treats. > Doctors believe that patients understand that they need to consult a health care professional about appropriate treatment. Eighty-two percent responded either "very well" or "somewhat" when asked whether they believe that their patients understand that only a doctor can decide whether a drug is right for them. https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm143562.htm https://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm14356... Folks can argue that the FDA is biased in favor of drug companies at the expense of consumers, but then this would be a huge problem with the central mission of the FDA. It's not clear why we would trust it for approving drugs/treatment, but not trust it for considering the affects of adverisements.