The American Medical Association is looking to ban prescription drug companies from marketing directly to consumers. Health care professionals are stating that patients are asking for medication they do not need. This is also leading to the rising costs of prescription medication. The AMA is looking to ban ads for prescription medication including Viagra, Cialis, and similar products. A person can see these advertisements when they turn on the television set or look in a magazine.
Delegates from this organization voted to make it a policy to ban this advertisement. The AMA is hoping that if the ban goes through, the costs of prescription medications will drop. They blame the increase in the costs of these medications on the high cost of advertising. The AMA feels that if advertising is banned than the costs of these medications will decrease.
Dr. Patrice Harris from the AMA the vote on this advertising ban reflects the concern among doctors of the rising cost of prescription medications. According to research, drugmakers have spent over 4.5 billion dollars on advertising in the past two years. This is a five percent increase from the previous years. This figure keeps on going up every year.
Patient care is compromised since there are a number of coverage limitations due to health care plans. These plans are unwilling to pay the high costs for the medications. Many people cannot afford the copay or the out of pocket expenses that are associated with these prescriptions.
The pharmaceutical company does not agree with the AMA. They say that the direct to customer ads allows the customers to have access to more information so they can make better informed decisions about their health care and treatment options. These ads are also encouraging patients to seek the care of a doctor to have important conversations about their health. The companies have stated that people would not have spoken to their doctor if they have not known about these medications.
The AMA will continue to look at this information to determine how they are going to continue rallying for this advertisement ban. They will decide on the most effective way to move forward from this point.