The United States and New Zealand are perhaps the only nations that permit direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising. Big Pharma is permitted to use every marketing tool at its disposal to glamorize medications to consumers, who are then expected to go to their doctors and ask for the latest and greatest pill, treatment, or vaccine. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and MAHA are changing the narrative.
“The constant barrage of drug commercials is not only annoying but also detrimental to public health,” Kennedy stated an interview. “It’s time we put an end to this practice and prioritize patient well-being over corporate profits.”
The National Library of Medicine published a study in 2018, “Dangers and Opportunities of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising,” which found that the average American was exposed to nine drug advertisements per day amounting to 16 hours per year. From 2012 to 2018, before COVID, Big Pharma increased commercial marketing by 62% because it is effective.
Merck released the first DTC print advertisement in 1981 for the Pneumovax. We saw an explosion of DTC ads in the 1990s and they have only increased in recent years with Americans having constant access to media. The FDA permits this type of advertising as long as it “is truthful, balanced, and accurately communicated” through regulation, surveillance, and education.” The FDA rarely enforces these regulations.
Now, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and FDA are keenly aware of how effective these advertisements have been, with both publishing numerous studies over the years. This is precisely why Americans were bombarded with government-funded advertisements for the COVID vaccine.
The HHS launched the “We Can Do This” campaign that included over 7,000 mixed media advertisements across every available platform. The HHS spent $377 million in public funds on that particular endeavor, shelling out another $117 million in digital advertisements for “underserved populations.” The US federal government spent over $1.1 billion promoting COVID vaccinations, with the HHS spending $836 million of that total amount.
How widespread was DTC advertising during COVID? Over $8 BILLION was spent on urging the public to take an experimental vaccine that had never been tested or properly studied. Pfizer spent $21.5 million on digital ads for its vaccine during 2021. It partnered with the NFL for $9.5 million to promote booster shots in 2022. The radio, magazines, TV, internet, billboards – the amount of carefully orchestrated subliminal messaging is unbelievable.
Kennedy has said that banning these types of advertisements is top of mind. This will not only impact revenue for Big Pharma but every media outlet relying on this ad revenue will feel the impact. Yet, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has more of a say when it comes to banning these advertisements. At the very least, Kennedy could prevent public funds from being spent on promoting questionable pharmaceuticals.
