I've never understood the logic behind prescription drug ads. The first rule of sales is to pitch the decision maker. You can't buy prescription drugs without a doctor's authorization, so basically the ads are asking people to go beg their doctors for medicine they may, or may not, need. The doctor, in turn, may give in to the patient's emotional pleas, since they are, in effect, in a customer service business. This would be an ethical violation. This rule would remove the ethical temptation of doctors
Further, it will be nice not to hear about an erection lasting over 4 hours, and not being too old for sex, in front of my 11 year old daughter while watching the news after dinner.
From a policy perspective, since the patients are not usually paying for the meds (you and I do), it makes sense to keep demand and prices low, as the doctors assert.
As for the free market, we do not have a free market in medicine. It is highly regulated through insurance and government regulation. So, I don't see a problem there.
Further, it will be nice not to hear about an erection lasting over 4 hours, and not being too old for sex, in front of my 11 year old daughter while watching the news after dinner.
From a policy perspective, since the patients are not usually paying for the meds (you and I do), it makes sense to keep demand and prices low, as the doctors assert.
As for the free market, we do not have a free market in medicine. It is highly regulated through insurance and government regulation. So, I don't see a problem there.