Study: Ads Exaggerate Benefits of Prescription Drugs

Drug companies overstate the benefits of prescription drugs in their television advertising, and TV ads for these medications have limited educational value, according to a study published in the latest issue of annals of medicine.As explained in the article's stated purpose: "American television viewers see as many as 16 hours of prescription drug advertisements each year, yet no research has examined how television ads attempt to influence consumers. This information is important, because ads may not meet their educational potential, possibly prompting consumers to request prescriptions that are clinically inappropriate or more expensive than equally effective alternatives."