Advertising Encourages Self-Prescribing Drugs

In your Oct. 18 editorial, “New Public Health Demands,” emphasizing the public health challenges we currently face, you say, “The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention needs to distribute guidelines to curtail the prescribing of antibiotics when they aren’t needed.” That admonition should be extended to all prescription medications to offset the impact of direct pharmaceutical advertising to the general public. In commercial after commercial the public is urged to “ask your doctor about (fill-in-the-blank medication).” This marketing of drugs has created the climate for self-prescribing, which is reflected in the public demand for Cipro. Indiscriminate use of antibiotics may ultimately prove a greater threat to Americans than anthrax.

Perhaps it is time to return to the time-honored practice of proscribing the advertising of prescription drugs to the general public. This might also have the significant desirable side effect of decreasing the cost of health care.

Richard P. Fox MD

Pres., American Psychoanalytic Assn., Dana Point