It's a dark pattern because it was placed there at the behest of pharmaceutical company that paid for it to be placed there because it would benefit their sales

It's a dark pattern because it was placed there at the behest of pharmaceutical company that paid for it to be placed there because it would benefit their sales, and not because it would be good for the patient. So it doesn't really matter how it was implemented, it's unethical from the start. The only variable is to what degree.