# Prescription Drug Advertising: Knock It Off Already!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 14, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241 "2003-05-14T17:45:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Catfood\_Purrito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Catfood\_Purrito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catfood_Purrito)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/61 "2003-05-15T17:52:53Z")
The one thing I miss about working as a secretary in the clinic setting (I now work in an off-site transcription office, no direct contact with arrogant doctors, and absolutely no patient contact, it’s heavenly) is the fun drug freebies. I have a bottle of Pancrease bubbles, a Prempro highlighter set, a neat little gizmo that holds paper upright so you can look at it while you type stuff, a multitude of pens (I just broke my favorite Protonix pen _sigh_), and God knows what else I have stashed away in my drawers. I missed out on the bouncy ball with flashing red lights (can’t remember what it was advertising). I’m very jealous of my friend who works in Orthopedics who has a skeletal hand encased in acrylic advertising some arthritis drug. I was also very jealous of the CA who nagged a drug rep until he finally gave her a Viagra watch. Bitch! And my favorite pen ever…the Remicade pen, it was heavy, refillable, wrote wonderfully, and like a fool, I left it sitting on my desk while I went to lunch. Somebody swiped it. Grrrr. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/62 "2003-05-15T18:07:36Z")
> [@](#): > > the Remicade pen, it was heavy, refillable, wrote wonderfully, and like a fool, I left it sitting on my desk while I went to lunch. Prozac gives away a damn good pen, too. Alas, someone also stole mine. Fuckers! ---
**Author:** ![sperfur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9adbd/32.png) [@sperfur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sperfur)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/63 "2003-05-15T18:10:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > **Just check out these fungal nails! [onychomycosis](http://omj.med.jhu.edu/images/vol3/bf5avol3.jpg)** This is the toenail of the devil! ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/64 "2003-05-15T18:19:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > \*\*Just check out these fungal nails! [onychomycosis](http://omj.med.jhu.edu/images/vol3/bf5avol3.jpg) \*\* I had to forward that around to some co-workers. It something I don’t want to see but I can’t stop looking. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/65 "2003-05-15T19:11:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jovan \* > \*\*Some years ago, the makers of Heartgard[sup]tm[/sup], a treatment for the prevention of heart worms in dogs and cats came out with their new beef-flavoured pills. To advertise, they sent vets two _huge_ steaks. Not only were they _huuuge_ they were absolutely _deeeeeelicious._ > > I also cherished a notepad that had been given to us by the makers of some ophtalmological treatment. Vets get stationary galore, but this notepad had the picture of a diseased canine eye printed on every page! How cool is _that_? \*\* My sister works for pfizer so I get some good swag. My mouse pad at work is an add for lipitor that is a cross section of an artery. I have some viagra tee shirts and a little blue foam toy in the shape of a giant viagra pill. ---
**Author:** ![Fin\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fin\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fin_man)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/66 "2003-05-15T19:15:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gazpacho \* > \*\*My sister works for pfizer so I get some good swag. My mouse pad at work is an add for lipitor that is a cross section of an artery. I have some viagra tee shirts and a little blue foam toy in the shape of a giant viagra pill. \*\* Do you wear the viagra shirts? I think back to the episode of _Friends_ where Joey was in the VD ad and everybody thought he had VD. Would wearing the shirt say to the ladies “I used to have trouble getting it up but now, stand back for your own safety.” ---
**Author:** ![ENugent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@ENugent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ENugent)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2003, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/67 "2003-05-15T19:54:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mishell \* > \*\*God knows what else I have stashed away in my drawers. \*\* So the Viagra’s been working for you, then? ---
**Author:** ![SchlitzGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@SchlitzGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SchlitzGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/68 "2003-05-27T17:43:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Giraffe \* > \*\*Yep, the egg-rock thing is for Zoloft. Clearly the Paxil marketing team has successfully trained my subconscious to associate depression with their product. Ironically, that idea depresses me. \*\* I guess we should be thankful that something like this exists. I had a relative who was suffering depression - when I became the victim of a 180-degree mood swing (ever get hate mail in a BIRTHDAY CARD? I did), which continued for a couple years, I knew it was something beyond “having a bad day”. Anyway, the problem was analyzed, a prescription was written up (forgot what the brand name was, but I don’t think it was Zoloft), and while the end result wasn’t drugged-out bliss, the change back to a positive personality was dramatic and incredibly welcome. We get along better now than we had in years and I have totally dismissed the “lost years” of our relationship. I don’t bring up the bad times - I know now that they were due to more than just an “attitude”. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241/69 "2003-05-27T18:03:42Z")
I kinda like the arthritis drug ad with the 'kinder, gentler" Frankenstein monster… Couldn’t tell you what the product is to say my life, though… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prescription-drug-advertising-knock-it-off-already/175241.md?page=3)