Patients Come First has released new polling data indicating that a majority of Americans believe legal advertisements about medications can mislead patients and discourage the use of safe treatments. According to the poll, 66% of respondents expressed concern that such ads could instill fear regarding medications deemed safe.
Legal advertisements targeting medical devices and prescription drugs have been increasingly scrutinized for their potential to mislead patients. Critics argue these ads may provoke fear or confusion, leading some individuals to discontinue prescribed medications. Regulatory and medical communities are evaluating how these ads influence patient behavior.
According to Patients Come First, in a national poll of 2,110 adults, 66.4% of respondents said legal advertisements about prescription medications could make patients unnecessarily fearful of treatments deemed safe by medical professionals. The poll also found that only 11.1% of respondents would immediately stop taking a medication after seeing a legal ad about it, while 64.5% indicated they would consult their doctor first.
The survey revealed that 33.9% of respondents were "very likely" and 34.5% "somewhat likely" to stop taking a medication if they saw a legal ad about it. Additionally, 47.6% said they "sometimes" believe such ads exaggerate drug risks, while 21.7% said "often" and 14.6% said "always." Only 5% said they "never" believe the ads exaggerate risks.
When asked about trusted sources for medical risk information, 66.5% of respondents reported trusting their doctor or healthcare provider most, compared to just 5.9% who trust legal advertisements. Only 9.1% expressed being "very confident" that legal ads provide balanced, science-based information about medications.
Patients Come First is a national advocacy group focused on reducing barriers to patient care and opposing policies that delay medical innovation. The organization maintains a grassroots network of state-level executive directors to represent patients and aims to counter the influence of special interests in healthcare policy.
