Drug company ads are easy to blame for misleading patients and raising costs, but research shows they do help patients get needed treatment

Officials and policymakers say direct-to-consumer drug advertising encourages patients to seek treatments they don’t need and raises heath care costs, but the true picture is more nuanced.

By: Anna Chorniy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Institute for Humane Studies, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: February 27, 2026

Words: 1,425

Last Updated: 1 week, 5 days ago

Body Text Preview

By Anna Chorniy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; Institute for Humane Studies

It’s a familiar experience for many Americans: You’re watching your favorite show and suddenly you’re ambushed by an ad for a drug whose name sounds like a Wi-Fi password, before a relentlessly cheerful voice tells you to “Ask your doctor” and then blasts through a side-effect list that’s laughably long.

But that might soon change. After nearly 30 years of giving pharmaceutical …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.

Email Us