# Ask your doctor... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 21, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167 "2005-10-21T00:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeekster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@squeekster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeekster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/1 "2005-10-21T00:10:05Z")
Does anybody actually watch an advertisement on television regarding some new prescription medicine and take them seriously? You know the ones. A commercial comes on pitching some new prescription medicine. They spend a couple seconds telling how great the product is then the rest of the commercial telling about all the side effects. One of them even makes a big deal about “low sexual side effects”. Then at the end of the commercial, they tell you to “ask your doctor is XYZ medicine is right for you.” My question is, does anyone actually go call and make an appointment with their doctor, which would probably cost them $100 or more, just to ask that doctor if the medicine “is right for them”? (P.S. You can’t get much more mundage and pointless than this. :o ) ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/2 "2005-10-21T00:12:07Z")
I’ve wondered about this, too! I seriously doubt that anyone is going to take the time and money to go and sit in the waiting room for hours just for a quick chat with the doc. Nor do I think that most doctors have the time to return phone calls regarding some new drug. I’d rather just research it on my own, or better yet, find an alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/3 "2005-10-21T01:34:15Z")
Have you heard the joke about the guy who sees one of these commercials, and then goes to his doctor and asks about that medicine? The doctor looks him in the eye and asks, “So, how long have you had genital warts?” ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/4 "2005-10-21T03:15:52Z")
Actually, the line has a dual purpose. The obvious one is the CYA one. But people really do go to the doctor and _demand_ Rxs for stuff, and what’s more, many doctors actually give them the script! Someone who just went to the doctor for a cold doesn’t want to go home empty handed. So they convince the doc to give them an Rx for antibiotics. Lot of good that’ll do. Same with the stuff they advertise on TV. Great way to generate sales. ---
**Author:** ![MizGrand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cdc98d/32.png) [@MizGrand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MizGrand)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/5 "2005-10-21T13:02:01Z")
I loved the Zoloft bouncy ball so much that I requested that med. He looks so forlorn in the beginning of the commercial and by the end has many friends and is happy. That’s what I wanted for myself. It kinda works… ---
**Author:** ![squeekster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/779978/32.png) [@squeekster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeekster)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/6 "2005-10-21T13:43:09Z")
The Google add at the bottom of the screen a minute ago reminded me of the single most **annoying** one of these adds to be televised yet. “ **THIS** is Bob.” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/7 "2005-10-21T13:48:44Z")
I don’t really get all the cynicism. These ads identify solutions for problems that people have, that they might not know there was a solution for. Imagine someone who can’t get it up, and who is resigned to this fact. Then he sees an ad for Levitra™ and decides to ask his doctor about it. His doctor gives him a script, he buys the product, problem solved. There’s an ad for a prescription sleep aid that describes my symptoms to a T. I’m actually very eager to ask my doctor about it and see if he’ll give me a script for it. I’m just holding off until I get up the nerve (my doctor can be kind of a dick). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/8 "2005-10-21T14:38:57Z")
Drug companies mkae lots of money, in part due to exceedingly astute marketing. They absolutely know what they are doing, and I have no doubt whatsoever they run these ads since this technique works well. Doctors are very pressed for time, and are unlikely to argue if a patient makes a reasonable request for a medicine likely to be helpful. For common conditions, the doctor can often choose from several similar products – if the patient wants a specific one, most doctors wouldn’t argue. I usually try to prescribe the medicine with the best evidence or cheapest cost. If I point this out and the patient wants Brand X specifically, I’d probably prescribe it. I don’t personally accept drug company freebies, but these are offered to doctors since this technique works well too. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/9 "2005-10-21T14:45:19Z")
Okay, I confess. I have a chronic medical condition, and the last time I saw my doctor about it, I actually DID ask if an advertised drug could be right for me. I didn’t demand it, but I did ask about it. He told me it might be right for me, or it might not, and that it would take about 6 months to figure that out. He said it wouldn’t hurt to add it on top of my current prescription, so we’re trying it that way for 6 months to see if there’s an improvement. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/10 "2005-10-21T14:48:19Z")
I did. I mean, I didn’t go out of my way to ask about a drug, but I already had an appointment and asked about Claritin, since it had just come out and I have seasonal allergies. I wanted to know if it worked well. Same thing with Patanol, as a matter of fact. ---
**Author:** ![Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/58956e/32.png) [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/11 "2005-10-21T17:58:50Z")
Some prescription drug ads give you no clue as to what the stuff is supposed to cure. What’s with that? ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-your-doctor/327167/12 "2005-10-21T20:07:08Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I don’t really get all the cynicism. > > These ads identify solutions for problems that people have, that they might not know there was a solution for. I would rather my doctor recommend a med - I’m lucky since I’m able to tell my MD whatever my problem is. I can’t imagine diagnosing/treating myself based on a smiley, 30 second commercial.