Watch out for this sneaky new way Big Pharma is pitching its drugs

It looks like most anyone with a “name,” or at least even a vaguely familiar one, can pad their retirement account with a check from Big Pharma.

And the most recent celebrity endorsement is coming from former tennis star Monica Seles who wants us to know that “binge eating disorder” or BED, is “a real medical condition.”

Now, Monica’s little chat with us about this “real” condition is following a new pattern in drug advertising.

And that’s to make it look like it’s not advertising at all, but a disease “awareness” campaign.

Even Seles calls what she’s doing a “public service announcement” in an interview with People Magazine.

But it’s pretty obvious that anything ending in “talk with your doctor” is a lot more than just helpful information.

While the Seles commercial may be a soft sell, the web site she sends you to sounds like a desperate pitch by a drug maker trying to get its new BED disease on the map.

To help you get the “care” (translation: drug) you need from your doctor, it advises you to give him a heads up about BED so he can prepare (translation: figure out what the heck you’re talking about) for your visit.

It says to remember that “time may be limited” in your appointment, so get going talking about BED as fast as you can! And don’t forget to share that “symptom checklist” you filled out online, to get the conversation going faster.

But the most outrageous thing this “resource for understanding” says is “don’t give up” if your doctor didn’t address your concerns (translation: didn’t give you an Rx for the new BED drug). Because that’s when you need to ask for a “referral” (translation: start doctor shopping for one who will.)

BED is a “relatively new distinct disorder” and your doctor may not know about it yet (translation: your doctor may call it “overeating”). Find another one who specializes in “eating disorders” (translation: find a doc’s office where our sales rep has been).

And to get one over to your doctor’s office ASAP, you can provide your doctor’s name and address so he can be rushed an “education kit.”

Look, it’s bad enough that we’re bombarded by drug advertising day and night. But this new scheme Big Pharma is using takes it to a whole new level of deception.

Source:

“Shire & Seles team up in B.E.D. to promote Vyvanse. Celebrity endorsement at its worst!”  Pharma Marketing Blog, February 4, 2015, pharmamkting.blogspot.com