Re:Bad Idea (Score 1)

If drug companies can afford every other Super Bowl commercial, and drug reps can throw money at every doctor and pharmacist in the country, maybe they can afford to sell drugs at reasonable prices to third world countries.

Uh, i'm a pharmacist. I'll be the first to tell you that drug reps do NOT throw money at us. In fact, I rate drug reps and advertising one step below a used car salesman. At least a used car salesman realizes that he knows jack and shit. When I see a drug rep, I'm lucky if I get two cheap plastic pens and a pad of post-its. Then I have to hear them babble about the latest study (that their company paid for) showing this new drug X to be better than what the gold standard is (of course, they paid for the study).

I hate drug commercials with a passion. The last thing I need are the patients coming in wanting new drug X that cost $20/tablet (that their insurance wont cover) just because they saw it on TV; and the doctors writing for it because some blond drug rep came in and gave him free schwag.

Good pharmaceutical judgment has been taken away from journals/studies/clinical experience and replaced with talking-head drug reps and TV ads. Sad really. Loads of good drugs out there that cost pennies that nobody wants to use because its not being marketed.