Advanced Medical Institute ad complaints (possible NSFW)

[Evandril]

Instead, the doctor (whose only mistake was listening to the guy) is sued.

Would be like me getting in trouble because I listened to someone who doesn't know planes telling me how to fix one, and it crashes... Since I *do* know planes, if I'm listening to someone who has not a clue...That's *MY* mistake for doing so.

Any doctor who hasn't realized patients want things that are NOT good for them isn't one I want even close to me!

[Boozy]

It also seems like the side effects being trumpeted on TV would prevent the patients who actually do need these drugs from even asking about them.

Depends on the condition. I wouldn't take cortisone nasal spray for my mild allergies, because the side effects are worse than the disease for me. But for someone whose quality of life seriously suffers in the spring from allergies, it might be worth it for them.

[AFPheonix]

Actually, in my experience, pharmacists are far more likely to catch contraindicated drugs than doctors are. That's why you should always use the same pharmacy for every script.

Yes, thank you!!!!
Hell, we get doctors prescribing drugs that patients are allergic to on a fairly regular basis. There was one old woman who had an antibiotic prescribed for her by the same doc that did her blood thinner, and the antibiotic would have greatly increased the action of the blood thinner.
The weird thing is the doc was kind of miffed we called to get it changed. I guess she wanted her patient to bleed out or something.
Also, check your scripts before you leave the office, especially if you're getting a C-II script. Is it dated? Your name on it? (and not someone else's, which I've also seen more often than is comfortable) Drug name? Something that looks like it might be directions? Did the doctor sign it?
If not, you are going to have to wait until we can get that sorted for you. If it's a C-II and the doc didn't sign it or didn't put your correct name on it, you're SOL because by law we can't fix either of those things by phone or fax, so you get to mosey back to the doctor to get the damn thing rewritten.

[AdminAssistant]

Hell, we get doctors prescribing drugs that patients are allergic to on a fairly regular basis.

When I was a baby, I was given amoxicillin. One dose and I broke out in a rash (this is according to Mom, of course). Therefore, it's forever on the "things I'm allergic to" list. (Which also knocks out any of its cousins, like penicillin). About once a year I get a sinus infection, mosey down to the doctor, get a Z-Pak, get on with life. One time, though, the doctor said, "So, um, how bad was your reaction to the amoxicillin?" "Bad enough for me to be considered allergic to it?" I mean, the guy sat there for a second, considering trying to prescribe me something I had told him I was allergic to, because he didn't want to try to think of a different antibiotic.

sheesh.

[AFPheonix]

In his defense, some people don't really know what an allergy is. A lot of people will say they're allergic to codeine, when all it did was what it normally does to people, which is make them nauseous. A true allergic reaction is what you experienced: rash, itching, redness, hives, etc.
My brother in law would try to say he was allergic to Zithromax. It upset his stomach pretty bad, so I would say that he was definitely sensitive to it, but it wasn't a true allergy. Unfortunately he'd try to tell medical professionals about his so-called "allergy", which if it went down in his charts as such, he'd be ruling out the future use of a good class of drugs if he needed it in the future.

[Seshat]

Herpes wasn't curable for a long time - for most of most peoples' lives. There are many people out there who needed to be told there are now effective antivirals for it.

Not all of those people go to doctors regularly. Not all of them would bother to tell the doctor about something they believe is incurable, but which they have become used to managing.

For that reason, when some illness gets a new, much more effective medication (or a medication for people allergic/not helped by the old types), I just glance at the ads, check whether I/my family might need it, and shrug and go on with my life.

But by this stage, anyone who doesn't know about Herpes antivirals is living in a cave. Hey, drug companies? You can stop with the Herpes ones now, thanks!

So ... yes and no on the 'advertising drug treatments' thing.

[Nyoibo]

I would first of say that I am anything but a prude, I know more about fetishes, sexual acts and 'deviances' than possibly any of my friends, that being said, the AMI's ad's got on my nerves, I get sick of having sex shoved in my face all the time, most of the complaints about it are rather spurious, however I do think there is a time and a place for such things, billboards, radio and tv at all hours really isn't the place for it.

[Flyndaran]

... Then maybe useless drugs like dextromethorphan would go away. But that's just me.

You don't think preventing coughs is useful? As someone that once spat out blood from coughing too hard I would strenuously disagree.

... I get sick of having sex shoved in my face all the time, ....

The you must loathe being a human being. Like it or not our species is far more preoccupied with sex than nearly every other animal.

Free speech plus capitalism... seems a bit hard to stop them just because we find specific examples "icky".

[AFPheonix]

You don't think preventing coughs is useful? As someone that once spat out blood from coughing too hard I would strenuously disagree.

In cases of extreme coughs, reducing the urge can be useful. Whether DXM actually decreases cough reflex is disputed. Codeine derivatives or medications like Tessalon are far more effective.

[Flyndaran]

In cases of extreme coughs, reducing the urge can be useful. Whether DXM actually decreases cough reflex is disputed. Codeine derivatives or medications like Tessalon are far more effective.

DXM sure as heck worked for me though I must say that codeine works MUCH better.

[Nyoibo]

The you must loathe being a human being.

Quite frequently yes.