Self Parody and Prescription Drug Commercials

Imagine you're watching a car commercial and you hear the following: “While this vehicle has been shown to be a safe under most circumstances, occasionally there are problems that you should be aware of. Every once in a while the driver's side air bag deploys unexpectedly. This is not particularly problematic if the car is still in park, but more so if you’re moving. In addition, the heating system occasionally malfunctions resulting in a bit of smoke floating through the interior of the car. It’s nothing to be concerned about. Within ten minutes the smoke should dissipate, allowing you to see the road clearly again. There have also been instances when the vehicle’s locking mechanism gets stuck making it difficult for passengers to exit the vehicle. If this happens and you can’t open the car doors, call 911. Afterwards, be sure to contact your car dealer.“

Other than SNL or the Daily Show, it’s unlikely we’re ever going to hear anything remotely like this. Yet, the above car parody is not much different from the prescription drug commercials which, at times, border on self parody. The poster child for this self parody genre is the ad for the psychiatric drug, Abilify.

The theme of the commercial is this: If you’re currently taking a commonly prescribed antidepressant drug like Prozac or Zoloft and feel that it’s not quite working as well as you had hoped, then Abilify is for you. The combination will bring a smile to your face as you are now able to function unencumbered by life’s burdens.

I’ve watched this commercial a number of times and it never ceases to amaze me. After the initial pitch, the attention shifts to the side effects of the drug which, by law, the drug companies have to make you aware of. What’s unusual about this drug is both the number of serious side effects and the length of time it takes to recite them. The following is some of what you hear:

“If you suddenly have suicidal ideation or unusual thoughts, feel dizzy or start to vomit, experience involuntary repetitive movements of the limbs, develop symptoms of diabetes or have trouble breathing, be sure to contact your doctor.”

The third time I watched the ad, I decided to time it. It takes forty-seconds to list just the major side effects of Abilify. I don’t know about you, but if it takes a full forty-seconds to list what terrible things could possibly happen when I’m taking a drug, I'll pass. Given all the other ways that are available to help lift your mood and augment the medication you are currently on — lifestyle management changes like getting some additional sleep and exercise come immediately to mind — it would seem that taking a drug like Abilify should be the choice of last resort.

Oh, and by the way, one of the side effects that’s not mentioned in the commercial, but is likely to happen in a significant number of people, is weight gain. That’s conveniently left out. It was probably just an oversight, since a drug company would never purposely mislead the public.

I think I rather take my chances with the car whose airbags deploy unexpectedly.