Browsing through Spin magazine (I dunno), I come across an full page ad with pill bottles labeled with various anti-depressants and the suggestion that if these aren’t cutting it, perhaps the addition of Abilify might be a good idea. Abilify is an anti-psychotic (or neuroleptic), though I suppose if they are marketing it now as SSRI’s “little helper,” they might not want to call it an anti-psychotic medication, which scares people. But that’s what it was initially targeted to treat and its mechanism of action and profile of side-effects— including neuroleptic malignant syndrome, tardive dyskinesa, akathisia and metabolic syndrome— are those of an anti-psychotics, so it is an anti-psychotic.
So what’s the purpose of this ad? Well, since it (and undoubtedly hundreds more in other publications) cost the pharmaceutical company a lot of money the purpose is obviously to increase profit, which clearly it must accomplish or else I would not be seeing it. But its not like an ad for a snack food or household cleaner. I can’t go out and pick up Abilify at the grocery store. No, my doctor has to prescribe it. And of course, my doctor should already be aware of it, unless he/she is obtaining their continuing medical education through adverts in Spin magazine, which I doubt. So how’s the ad work? Easy. Get suffering people to put pressure on their doctors, which doctors often find hard to withstand, to prescribe new, expensive medications regardless of whether or not they may be the most prudent treatment choice. In short, to increase use of the drug through the uninformed and desperate needs of suffering patients. The drug maker might argue it provides patient education, but the fraction-point font relates information indecipherable to your average reader, who understands only ‘this might work’ without understanding risks and limitations.
Is there any socially redeeming value of an advertisement for an anti-psychotic medication to supplement the treatment of depression in Spin magazine? No. They are a plague on the healthcare system and serve only to inappropriately influence prescribing through patient pressure on physicians. Pharmaceutical advertisements should be prohibited.
