I know several of us have been irritated by the Aricept commercials on TV. The last few days I've noticed an Excelon patch commercial that seems a lot more sensitively presented. It has an elderly lady (Mom) suffering from AD and her daughter who is the caregiver. The daughter seems really believeable--her voice is concerned, her face looking stressed, filling out a journal or record book. The tone of this one seems much more realistic than the "lightheartedness" of the Aricept one.
I first saw this ad in Missouri and DH was with me when it came on. I fully expected some questions or comments--but he never said a word. Have seen it a couple of times since we've been home and he still hasn't said anything about it. I don't think he knows what he's taking. Sad, isn't it.
There are a couple of them from this company. And in all of them you can feel the caregiver's pain. And they aren't telling people that there will be a miracle, which is what drives all of us crazy.
(Source: Reuters) - U.S. regulators say that two television commercials for the Alzheimer's drug Aricept are misleading because they suggest the therapy offers a drastic improvement not supported by available data.
The Food and Drug Administration said the ads depicted patients whose behavior changes dramatically after taking the medication, even though results from clinical trials do not support such an improvement.
"The inclusion of the superimposed text, 'Individual results may vary,' does not mitigate these misleading presentations," the FDA added.
I, for one (and Dr. John, when he was well) wish that drug companies were not allowed to advertise prescription medications. First of all, your doctor knows what to prescribe, if he's any kind of MD at all. Secondly, I believe these commercials DO mislead people into thinking they can prescribe treatments for their ailments and expect unreal results.
The direct link to that article is under the Breaking News section of the home page - www.thealzheimerspouse.com
I think all of us who know Alzheimer's Disease collectively hate those ads. The new ones are slightly better. But only slightly. The FDA is not happy with them.
I agree with Jen - ads for prescription medicines should be banned from public TV. When the patient sees the ad he/she starts trying to force his/her doctor to prescribe it, with no thought as to whether it is the proper drug, or even the best. These ads are usually for new, expensive drugs, when an older, less expensive drug would do just as well. Also, the patient gets upset (mad at the doctor) when the results are not as shown in the ad.
I agree - I enjoyed it before drugs were advertised on TV. True, for some people it is a way to start educating themselves. A way to get doctor and patient talking more about the meds they are on. But for many, as was said, they go to their doctor and pressure the doctor to change their meds to what they see on TV. For some the change is better, but others not. I am glad the FDA came down on their. It is so misleading and from comments made to me - people believe that it will cause an immediate improvement back to the patient's old self.
Another reason to stop the ads is the effect they can have on people that they don't work for. My hb has had ED for years and the drugs did not work. Every time we see a commercial on TV for ED drugs it just reminds me of what we lost way before we should have.
Nora, if your doc has a sense of humor, your question could have led to quite a conversation!
I object to the Aricept ads particularly because they reinforce the common misperception that there is a "cure" for AD. I cannot count the number of people I've talked to who are surprised that AD is terminal. These ads only further misinform people. When most people ask how my husband is doing, their second question is--he's on the medication, isn't he? I get the impression that even more educated individuals think that the meds will keep him stable for the rest of his life. I am constantly explaining that it is like taking most OTC meds for a cold, you have the cold for 7 days, regardless--it only affects the symptoms a little--does not cure.
I want to jump in here on this one too. My mom suffered this disease and this drug ( or any of them were not on the market in the 1990s. When these ads, and for that matter just about all med ads for different things, just annoy me..take this pill and the world will be right side up again..you will be over the drips, the ED thing and now this.. The ones that get to me are the ones where mom or dad ( and we never see anyone with EOAD) are looking lost and confused...then take one pill or use that first patch and whooppee..we can bake pies, cut lumber or swing from the trees...I have not seen the Exelon ad yet..My DH is on that one.