Ubiquitous
advertising of medicines
Nowadays, we can watch lots and
lots of advertisements different kinds of drugs, medicines and pills for
everything. Yes, we can, but do we want to? It's very popular, and what's worse
- it works. A lot of people can get caught up in it and buy drugs from advertisements.
Because their stomach/head/back/leg/arm/brain hurts too... Poor them! :( It's obviously
not that this medicament doesn't work. They often feel better - but in most
cases it's a placebo effect.
Dietary supplements
Wake up! You don't need this! -
This should be the new slogan of government's social campaign. One of the medicine producers said in an advertisement
that his product contains a "C.O.X" Inhibitor - but the problem is
that it doesn't exist! The narrator read it in an incorrect way and a lot of
doctors objected against this kind of mistake in medicinal advertisements.
People think - the more treatment
you get the healthier you become, but that way of thinking can produce very bad
results. Not everybody needs more magnesium. Only patients with deficiencies. Taking
too big a quantity of magnesium can lead to threatening complications. Don't
try to treat yourself alone.
There
are 4 types of hypochondriacs at the pharmacy:
·
experimenter
- willingly treats himself, reads medical literature, tracks advertising of new
drugs, often takes the advice of a pharmacist rather than a doctor's, is interested
in rapid elimination of symptoms,
·
trustworthy
patient - cares about his/her health, regularly checks the state of their
health, benefits from the doctor's instructions, only buys drugs which were
accepted by a doctor.
·
hypochondriac
- cares about their health exaggeratedly, is constantly deepening medical
knowledge, buys a lot of drugs, including new ones,
·
ignorant
- does not care about the state of his/her health, does not go to a doctor, in
case of symptoms recognises them and goes to the pharmacy.
Bad record
2015
was another year in which Polish people beat the record of expenses for pills,
drugs and medicines. This is the result of a huge advertising campaign and a
side effect of the Government's Reimbursement Act. Expenses were more than 3
million PLN more than in the previous year.
Overdose of paracetamol was the
cause of death of a 62-year-old man in the Opole region. He had no serious
illnesses, like millions of Poles accept he was constantly taking medicines
with acetaminophen, an analgesic and antipyretic substance. One time he exceeded
the permissible standard daily dose of eight tablets of 500 mg. A kidney and
liver failure, loss of consciousness and death were the result. These are the
effects of a commercial campaign of pharmaceutical companies.
The last resort
On the other hand some people find that whole situation
is a consequence of a useless health
service. If they must wait a very long time to visit the doctor or if the doctor
is rubbish... They must heal themselves,
because it's the only thing that they can do.
1. What do you think about this? Is it the fault
of the society, impertinent ads, government or maybe ubiquitous human silliness?
What's your opinion?
2. What type of patient are you? (look: 4 types of hypochondriacs
at the pharmacy)
Sources:
http://info.wyborcza.biz/szukaj/gospodarka/reklamy+lek%C3%B3w
http://wyborcza.pl/1,76842,17513743,My__Polacy__lekomani__Rekordowe_wydatki_na_leki__grozne.html?disableRedirects=true
http://interaktywnie.com/biznes/artykuly/biznes/zenujace-reklamy-lekow-dlaczego-kreatywni-obrazaja-widzow-245451
http://www.mz.gov.pl/leki/produkty-lecznicze/reklama-lekow
I believe that polish health service plays a role in that problem. Waiting months or even years for an appointment put patient off. That's why they prefer to buy some pills in queue in the supermarket. Moreover Polish people have a repotation for being familiar with everything. "They know best what medicine they should take".
ReplyDeleteWith a bit of shame I have to admit I'm a hypochondriac. Whenever I feel worse I google some disease I might suffer from. However I never see a doctor, i'm too young for that, aren't I?
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ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, apart from the government's fault lies with the ad. I know the older people are watching them and then they spend retirement on drugs for aching legs, etc. Young people watch ads of super-acne preparations and drugs on memory and they are buying them. We know if they were shorter queues at health centers and more people will treated at doctors. But not necessarily in this day and age we don't even have time to take care of our health.
ReplyDeleteI'm ignorant. Even as I am seriously ill, mom takes me by force to the doctor.
In my opinion, apart from the government's fault lies with the ad. I know the older people are watching them and then they spend retirement on drugs for aching legs, etc. Young people watch ads of super-acne preparations and drugs on memory and they are buying them. We know if they were shorter queues at health centers and more people will treated at doctors. But not necessarily in this day and age we don't even have time to take care of our health.
ReplyDeleteI'm ignorant. Even as I am seriously ill, mom takes me by force to the doctor.
I think that it is mainly fault of the society. Why? Because they love making a diagnosis with using Internet. They find some ailments which perfectly fit like a glove to their symptoms. That’s why some people think that they are infallible and they are convinced that they don’t need doctor’s diagnosis. Buying pills in supermarket and ect. is strictly connected with this kind of behavior. I think I’m ignorant when it comes to types of hypochondriacs at the pharmacy. Why? Because when I feel not so good, I ignore it and try not to think about it. I rather go to pharmacy and buy some pills without doctor’s examination or use my grandma’s methods of treatment than make an appointment with a doctor.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteIt's nobodys fault - it's a natural order. We live in society based on money. We are a property od medical concerns and I could say - we are a products of naivety. We trust advertisements, we spend our money on supplements which we don;t need. We buy medicines because they have nice label and so on. It's horrible but unstoppable. It's a begining of civilization addiction from medicines, pils and supplements.
I'am an ignorant - I don;t like doctors, I visit them rarely. Only in real threats for my health. The rest of diseases I try to cure by myself.
Nowadays medicines adverts are everywhere: Tv, radio, press, on the internet, even bus stops or storefronts. Pharmacy is very developed part of science. It isn't my, yours are anyone fault. It's pure bussiness. Scientists discover more and more medications for more diseases, sell the formula to the pharmaceutical companies and make more and more money. I think it's good that we have bigger acces to the medicines and that we see advertises every single day. Untill we become a home-made doctors I think it's good. I'm a brave patient, I rarely take painkillers but I visit a doctor at least once a year, to chek if something is wrong with my health.
ReplyDeletePeople are very susceptible to advertising and prevailing trends, what marketing specialists can easily exploit. They can convince people that they are not sufficiently healthy and people believe it. That's only the fault of stupid people, not specialists, who are just doing their job.
ReplyDeleteI'm mixed type of patient. Something like Experimenting-trustworthy patient. I like to try unconventional medicine to help my immunological system, but when I feel really bad or when I just need sick leave- I visit a doctor.
In the modern world medicine is much more than curing somebody. Advertisments are everywhere. There is a pill for being young, for being smart etc. We make ii into bussiness. It's really bad that doctors focus on inventing another pill for being happy instead of inventing a pill and cheaper way to get rid of cancer, AIDS and other really problematic diseases.
ReplyDeletePopping yourself with pills is the worst you can do. It's obvious that a pill that helps your immunity can be harmful for your liver. We should avoid taking medicine for every even small pain because in the future it can cause more damage than good. Experiments on placebo show that we often do not need any treatment and that everything happens in our minds. Don't get crazy and most important: Do not read about any symptoms on the Internet because you will find out that you should have died a long time ago!
ReplyDeleteNowadays people tend to take drugs for everything starting from headache and in my opinion it is fault of the advertisements but also the fact that the pills are available in almost every grocery shop. Also humans stupidity plays its role as they prefer taking pills instead of visiting a doctor and take them for granted hoping that it will help and finally the government made its contribution to it by not supporting the mediacal health care enough and because of that patients have to wait in long queues to a doctor that's why they take so much over-the-counter drugs or looking for new possible solutions such as alternative medicine or complementary medicine: blending over-the-counter medicine with alternative medicine which without knowing how it exactly works might be harmful.
ReplyDeleteIt's obvious that every overdose causes some hard damages and we should be careful using the drug without control by a doctor. Much more! It would be better if we didn't take any drugs without recommandations of specialist! The pharmacists know the effects of medicines but they can't for 100% say if this one or other guarantees recovery.
ReplyDeleteThese are effects of a human stupidity, not of a commercial campaign. Every medicine has an instruction how to use it safely, and we can’t blame pharmaceutical companies for people’s negligence. Okay, it’s social issue that we prefer curing ourselves on our own than going to the doctors but decision is still up to you, don’t forget about it. When we talk about commercials of medicines I immediately think about their quality. These ads don’t seem to be reliable, and they can manipulate only naive people. That’s why we should educate people, not ban medicine commercials.
ReplyDeleteNowadays we can see to much advertisements which are everywhere. On TV, on the radio, in magazines and also on the Internet. It is so colorful and it shows how good it is and how helpful it may be for our health that we want them to stop our problems. I’m an ignorant patient, because I do not like doctors. I visit them when I have to and I have no other way. Mostly, I’m trying to cure myself in my traditional ways. And it usually works so I really like it.
ReplyDeleteIn Poland people often think, they know something better than doctors. They also try to get cured as quickly as we can, so they overdose medicines. I think it can be our ancestors' heritage. Grandmothers used to have their own - natural ways to cure a disease, today we also have our own methods - but instead of natural medicines, we use those from chamist's.
ReplyDeleteI'm a trustworthy patient - I always respect doctors' instructions.