Many people like direct-to-consumer (DTC) “ask your doctor” drug ads on TV.
They enjoy the drama of the mini “sitcoms,” such as a woman with severe asthma who can finally go out again or a man whose depression lifts, and he starts playing with his puppy again. People can feel empowered by knowing the symptoms of diseases they might have and the treatments available—information that only doctors used to have. Few are dissuaded by the long list of drug side effects, such as “low white blood cell counts that may cause serious infections and death” or “severe inflammation of the lungs that can lead to death.”
