US medical commercials

[wabashcr]

12 hours ago, MIKA27 said:

Well even in this one from 00:40 - 1:12 is all about side effects but in this instance where one had terminal cancer anyway and late stage, who'd give a flying F and NOT give it a shot??

The problem for most people is quality of life.  Yeah it's great they can make you live longer.  But the end stages of lung cancer are usually not very pleasant.  The typical patient isn't going to get more time to go enjoy their grandchildren's sporting events, like the commercial suggests.  They don't make any claims that the drug will cure the cancer, just hold it off a little longer.  For some people that's a good thing, regardless.  But many others would be much better served by a greater focus on end of life care, which they're far less likely to seek if they're given false or inaccurate hope by commercials like these.  Not to mention the drug costs over $100k for a full year's worth, most of which won't be paid for by insurance or the government.  They leave that part out, too.

Pharmaceutical companies take a lot of criticism in the US, much of it unfair.  Most people don't understand how the R&D costs are rolled into the price of the drugs, and how expensive it is to get anything approved.  But I could really do without them advertising their drugs directly to consumers.  

[earthson]

Par for the course when medical care is treated as a profit-driven business venture vs. a human right.

[Orion21]

9 minutes ago, earthson said:

Par for the course when medical care is treated as a profit-driven business venture vs. a human right.

I would love you to define what a "human right" is.  Using the reasoning above I could argue that having to pay for my water is a human rights abuse because without it I would die . . .

 

[Warren]

I had a period where I couldn't sleep and I hate sleeping pills so I thought I would go natural. Big mistake.

I got some Valerian which is herbal and there were no warnings on the pack at all.

That night as I was dropping off to sleep with the help of this wonderful herbal remedy I felt as though I was trying to breathe through several layers of wet towels.

When I finally got to sleep I had the worst night terrors and woke up feeling worse than ever.

I googled Valerian in the morning and there were the side effects listed. Difficulty breathing and night terrors.

The rest of the pack went in the bin.

[jwr0201]

Back in the dark ages when I graduated from college with my shiny new BA in Legal Studies and visions of getting up to my eyeballs in debt to go to law school, I read that the US had 10 barristers for every engineer.  Japan had exactly the opposite.  My forst interview as a legal aid offered $16,000/year.  Crap...forgot law school and began a career in printing.  No joke!  Most litigious country in the world we are.  Say it aint so and I'll sue your ass!  

[SloppyJ]

The viagra single pack doses are my favorite. Not really sure why that's a thing. Just put one in your pocket?