Finally, an antidote to TV drug ads

If you watch any TV, you've seen the barrage of advertisements for prescription medications. They always start by showing someone in distress—from insomnia, allergies, erectile dysfunction or other medical condition. But after taking the drug, the person is either sleeping soundly or running through the fields, depending on the original ailment,  while the announcer reads a scary list of side effects in a voice so soothing that they almost sound fun.

The problem with such "direct-to-consumer," or DTC, advertisements is that they may generate excessive demand because people go straight to their doctors asking for this or that specific medication. In a 2006 survey by our National Survey Research Center, 78 percent of doctors said that patients asked them at least occasionally to prescribe drugs they had seen advertised on television, and 67 percent said they sometimes did so. And don't expect the ad barrage to let up.  While Congress recently gave the FDA more authority to regulate ads, it rejected a measure that would have allowed the agency to place a moratorium on ads for new drugs that raise safety concerns. The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world (the other is New Zealand) where such ads are legal. 

Well, starting this month, Consumer Reports is introducing an entertaining new online video series that will track and report on such ads. The videos are hosted by Associate Editor, Jamie Hirsh, and produced by the ConsumerReports TV News crew. This first installment concerns an interesting class of medications that are approved to treat something called "restless leg syndrome." That condition may sound fanciful, but it's a real problem. Something like 3 percent of Americans suffer from RLS, which is characterized by an uncontrollable impulse to keep moving your legs even when you are trying to go to sleep—which obviously could make sleep difficult.

Several years ago, doctors discovered that drugs that were originally developed to treat Parkinson's disease could provide meaningful help to people who suffered from moderate to severe forms of this condition.  But the drugs have serious side effects - one of the more bizarre involves a propensity for uncontrolled sexual or gambling impulses, as our video mentions. And while these medications may provide welcome relief to some RLS patients, the ads could leave anyone who ever suffered fidgetiness when trying to go to sleep to wonder whether he or she has RLS and should seek treatment.

We leave the rest to the video to explain, and we urge you to check back next month for the next installment in this fun and informative series!—Kevin McKean, Editorial Director

Learn more
Find more information on drugs commonly used to treat RLS in Consumer Reports' Medical Guide:

• Ropinirole (brand name Requip)
• Pramipexole (brand name Mirapex)

Comments

[Paresh Pandya]

Normally I trust in CR for responsible reporting, but something about this "video" (insert women's finger gestures here) put me right off. As someone who suffers from RLS (yes the letters do make it sound important) I can say with authority that the side-effects of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and even compulsive gambling are almost preferable to not sleeping (due to periodic limb disorder).

The fact is there is no known cure for RLS. The cheaper alternatives CR casually mentions rarely work. At least medication gives a slightly better chance at improving one's quality of life. A responsible physician and an informed patient will work together to carefully monitor treatments to balance the risks.

Is Ms.Hirsch a doctor? A scientist? Does she have any medical or biochemical education to speak with some credibility? We all know the drug industry is a business. It takes millions of dollars in research to bring a drug to the market. I don't begrudge them for using advertising to try and re-coup these costs. What does CR recommend I do? Will Ms.Hirsch pull out a magic cure from her pocket that is cheaper, more effective, and less risky? If so I know hundreds of thousands of sufferers who would be most interested (and as request, please deliver news of this wonder-cure in the same smug tone).

Shame on CR for taking a mocking tone at this disease. I look forward to your next video blog that rips apart cancer treatments (*gasp* it causes hair loss??) or medical prosthetics ("these companies rip off consumers by charging high prices for a stump that doesn't even look like a leg"). Bottom line - you are not JAMA or The New England Journal of Medicine or any other peer reviewed publication. Your 'authority' on people's health and well-being is just as suspect as the drug companies you are rallying against.

[Laurie]

This type of examination is long overdue. What is especially disturbing is that, in quite a few cases of RLS, it can be an adverse effect of another drug, which goes woefully unrecongized. Ssri antidepressants are notorious for RLS symptoms, but sadly this is a side effect that is denied and Requip is added.
I have sporadic RLS from a congenital spine deformity, and yes it is very uncomfortable. Magnesium supplementation works wonders and doesn't have to be taken every day for what are occassional symptoms.

[gina]

I honestly believe that drug companies are creating drugs to "treat" side effects of other drugs. I was on Paxil for 8 years (also a lovely GSK product) and slowly weaned off of it over a period of 8 months. I have been completely off for 2 months now and if I believed the commercials then I too would have RLS. However, I strongly suspect that it is just a side effect from the ssri and will just treat it with time and vitamins. No more GSK hype for me - thank you very much.

[Kevin McKean]

This note is for Shelley Skelton, who wrote the poignant personal testimonial in response to our new video, above, based on her own experience with drugs prescribed for her Restless Leg Syndrome. I'm Kevin McKean & I serve as editorial director at Consumer Reports. As Ron has noted, this video was never meant to cause distress to anyone who suffers from RLS. As we report in the video and as I noted in my introductory text, it is a real condition and the type of drugs Shelley takes have been shown to provide relief for some sufferers. However, Consumer Reports and experts with whom we consulted are concerned—particularly in light of the significant increases in consumer demand that Direct-to-Consumer drug ads can generate—that drugs like these will be requested and prescribed beyond what may be more effective, and certainly more conservative, responses. But that does not mean that we are in any way disputing its effectiveness for you, and in fact I am very glad that the drug provides relief as you have noted.

Nevertheless, like all advertising, the ads for prescription drugs must present a favorable picture of the product they promote. The point of our video was to provide additional context and information on the topic, both for those who actually have the disease and for the majority of viewers, who—based on the odds—probably don't. (A note on the odds: while some groups have claimed RLS prevalence as high as the 11-15% figure that is cited above, our researchers recommended instead that we use the 2.7% figure that is cited in the journals Public Library of Science (PLoS Medicine)—see http://medicine.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030170 —and Archives of Internal Medicine (see http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/165/11/1286?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=restless+leg+syndrom+prevalence&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT) as representing the clinically significant proportion of people who reported moderate to severe symptoms two or more times a week and thus might be appropriate candidates for treatment.)

One long-standing role of consumer organizations like Consumer Reports is to watch and comment on commercial advertising, and this video simply extends that obligation into a new medium. While we cannot match the advertising dollars spent by drug companies on their marketing campaigns, we are doing our best to effectively provide additional information from expert sources other than those with connections to the drug industry. We believe that consumers are generally best served when they and their doctors can consider such information, as well as that coming from drug companies, when making decisions about their health and medical care.

Your comment was definitely read and noted not only by me but by everyone involved in making this video. We welcome it, as well as the chance to explain our view of the importance of providing additional information independent of the drug companies. We also invite others to comment on the video, whether critical like Shelley's, or supportive—either here, or, if you prefer, to me directly (the address is kmckean@consumer.org). Thanks again for your words!

[nadine]

I have RLS but was disinclined to try a drug with such serious side effects - though the hyper sexual side effects might have been fun for my husband.

However he works for a health care organization and one of the nurses there recommended taking calcium instead. She claimed that it was one of those old wives tales that turns out to be true. It works well for me, and is a lot cheaper than an top tier drug per my insurance company. its nice that a lot of lesser ailments are getting treatments...but sometimes the treatment already existed...

[Tom Halladay]

Shelley, (First Poster), you're completely missing the point. They definitely are not making fun of the disease, or the drug, simply the advertising. It's blatantly clear that the advertisement is directed towards a broader audience than the drug is intended for.

I give major respect to consumer reports for doing videos like these. It's time the average American woke up and realized they are treated like morons with regards to TV advertising.

And thanks to TheConsumerist for linking this article!

[Ronald]

Excellent deconstruction of a television ad. This format would be an especially effective way to educate children about the ads they see on kid-oriented TV, and about consumerism in general. Children need to understand the constructed nature of mass nedia and the advertising that (typically) supports it.

Good job CR.

[RP]

I know having a condition most doctors don't know or care about is frustrating but this video was about the ad for Requip, not RLS itself.

1) Like the previous comment says, at no point in the video do they make fun of the condition itself.

2) All drugs have side effects but not all drugs have side effects this severe.

3) The ad never says that the drug does not work for everyone so it is worth pointing out. There is a difference between a drug that works for 99% and a drug that works for 75% of the population.

4) We should believe that the sexual and gambling side effects are bunk just because you say so? You're one person. Your personal experience, with a different medication than the one discussed, doesn't outweigh the research.

5) For you the side effects aren't worse than the RLS. OK, but you're on a different medication and you said yourself that your RLS is severe. The side effects might not be worth it for a mild case.

6) When you take the drug wasn't mentioned in the Consumer Reports video because it's irrelevant. It's not like the drug ad suggested you should take it all the time.

7) The drug companies spent so much time and money on it because they were working on a drug for Parkinson's disease. If they really thought they could make a lot of money only marketing it to people who legitimately have RLS they would have described the symptoms better. They were vague in hopes that even people without it will buy the drug.

[Ron]

Signed Sincerely? Are you sure?

The reporter was not making fun of the disease, she was making of of how the drug companies try to sell the drugs. I say it's about time! I think the last poster missed the point. I'm sick and tired (not a disease) of all the drug commercials already. If you're watching television late at night, it's the "having trouble sleeping" drugs. If you're watching "Lifetime", it's newfangled "birth control" and women-specific drugs. If you're watching a comedy (you guessed it), it's anti-depression drugs one after the other. Then there's the allergy and cold medicines with people running threw the daffodil fields. Erectile dysfunction, sleep disorders, chronic fatigue... enough already! It's no wonder that it's a billion dollar industry. They actually convince people to beg their doctors for these specific drugs.

I block certain calls on my telephone - I wish I could block these ads. Good going, CR, for ousting this long standing controversy. It's about time !

[Shelley Skelton]

I happened to see this report on CBS News (Wink Tv) in Florida and was appalled at the misinformation. And after watching your video on the computer, I am even more so. If anyone reporting had even once suffered the symptoms of RLS, they would not stand there so smugly making fun of it. I have been suffering from RLS for years, and if anything, the ads on TV have made the public aware of a very misdiagnosed ailment, and most doctors, who never paid much attention to it or took it very seriously either, now at least, know it is a real disease. And real it is -- if any one of your reporters had ever experienced the symptoms for just five minutes, they would not be so quick to make fun of something that is a life-altering disease. I cannot imagine who you spoke to, but I have been taking Mirapex for years, and without it I would not be able to ride in a car, sit through a movie, or sit at this computer writing to you without writhing in severe, intolerable discomfort. Of course, it has side effects -- what drug does not? Of course, it doesn't always work - what drug does? For those who say it doesn't help, it is the age-old story of a doctor who is not prescribing it correctly. As far as impulsive gambling and sexual desire, that is just bunk - it may be "documented" but you can be sure, so is the success rate and that is far more prevalent. And no, the side effects are not worse than the disease, and even if the medication helps only sometimes for some people, it at least offers some relief. I happen to have a severe case of RLS (those impressive initials your reporter mentioned) and once in a while, even the Mirapex does not help immediately, but when it kicks in, the relief is better than "sex", if I may play on the words used by your reporter about sexual addiction. Did anyone mention that in order for the drug to be effective, it should be taken 2 hours before symptoms occur? No, of course, they didn't do that much research. And FYI, the percentage of population that suffers from it is 11 to 15%, not the 3% mentioned in your video and on TV. Why do you think the drug companies spent so much time on research and advertising -- because enough people suffer from this to make it profitable for them. I could go on and on, but this will probably fall on deaf ears, so to speak -- just like the report that RLS is caused by caffeine, alcohol, whatever, and that exercise will help (seen on TV) -- wrong -- exercise makes it worse according to the experts in the field and to me, who has tried everything.

So smug little video reporter or anyone else who wrote this report -- I always thought that Consumer's Reports was a good place to get valuable information but now I know for a fact that your research is faulty and your information is inaccurate, at best. And making fun of someone else's discomfort is inexcusable.

Sincerely,

Shelley Skelton